A FRESH batch of at least 522 stranded Nigerians has arrived in Nigeria from Niamey, the Niger Republic.
News Point Nigeria learnt that the returnees were received by the National Emergency Management Agency on Sunday as part of ongoing voluntary repatriation efforts.
The returnees, conveyed in 12 luxury buses, arrived at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano at about 5:10pm for profiling.
Speaking to newsmen after receiving the returnees, the Head of Operations, NEMA Kano Office, Nura Abdullahi, said the exercise was purely voluntary and not a forced evacuation.
“It is a voluntary repatriation of Nigerians from the Niger Republic. The returnees were brought back by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he said.
He stated that the returnees comprised 267 male adults, 101 female adults, 82 boys, and 72 girls from different parts of Nigeria, particularly Kano, Jigawa, Plateau, and Bauchi states, among others.
He added that NEMA, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, had put adequate arrangements in place to cater to the returnees upon arrival.
“We have all our relevant stakeholders on the ground. The Nigerian Red Cross is here with their medical team, and we have also provided a mobile intensive care unit.
“As you can see, some of them have health challenges and are already receiving medical attention,” he said.
He attributed the migration of many of the returnees to the search for better economic opportunities abroad.
“Most of them were likely heading to countries like Libya and Algeria in search of greener pastures but had to return after realising the journey was not safe,” he added.
Abdullahi noted that arrangements had been made for temporary shelter for the returnees.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the returnees were given food, blankets, mosquito nets, and dignity kits containing toiletries, wrappers, sanitary pads, and other essentials.
“After necessary physical verification and profiling, they will be transported to their respective states,” he said.
He advised the general public to avoid endangering their lives by travelling abroad in search of greener pastures, adding that no country is better than one’s country of origin.
Also speaking, a representative of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Magaji Umar, commended the Federal Government for ensuring the safe and dignified return of the citizens.
He said the exercise aligns with Nigeria’s national migration policy and the current administration’s commitment to protecting its citizens abroad.
According to him, the operation was a result of coordinated engagement among key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigerian missions, and the International Organisation for Migration.
Umar reiterated the government’s resolve to continue collaborating with relevant partners to manage migration effectively and safeguard the welfare of Nigerians.
This newspaper reports that the agency had, on March 23, received 708 stranded Nigerians from the Niger Republic. NAN also reports that the returnees were received by NEMA alongside other security agencies, including SEMA, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs, the Nigerian Red Cross, and the Nigeria Immigration Service.