The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Sunday received a fresh batch of 329 stranded Nigerians from Agadez, Niger Republic. This comes as over 1,100 Nigerian migrants arrived in Kano from Agadez by road last week, and NEMA repatriated another 497 citizens stranded in Niamey back to Nigeria over the weekend.
Details of the Return
Head of Operations, NEMA Kano Office, Dr Nura Abdullahi, disclosed this while receiving the returnees at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano. The returnees arrived at the airport at about 10:50 a.m., conveyed in six luxury buses.
He explained that the returnees were brought back to Kano by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerian Mission in Niger Republic, and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) under a voluntary repatriation programme.
Abdullahi stated: “The programme was meant to ensure the safe and dignified return of stranded Nigerians.”
Composition of Returnees
The returnees comprised 165 males, 72 females, 46 boys, and 46 girls from Kaduna, Jigawa, Kano, Borno, and Katsina states, among others. After physical verification and profiling, the returnees would be transported back to their respective states.
Support Provided
The returnees were provided with food, and those with health challenges received medical attention. Abdullahi advised the returnees and other Nigerians to look beyond seeking better livelihoods outside the country and avoid endangering their lives through irregular migration.
