A total of 180 Nigerian migrants stranded in Niamey, Niger Republic have been successfully repatriated back to the country on Wednesday.
The returnees arrived at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, at approximately 11:20 a.m through a coordinated effort spearheaded by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), in collaboration with other stakeholders.
This fourth batch of returnees comprised of 86 adult males, 40 adult females, 25 male children and 29 female children.
Also, this latest effort marks the continuation of voluntary returns initiated by the federal government in 2024, from Niger Republic, now bringing the total number of returnees to 1, 272.
Speaking during the reception exercise at the Immigration Training School in Kano, NCFRMI Federal Commissioner, Tijjani Ahmed, reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to reintegrating the returnees back into the society.
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He said the returnees would be included in various empowerment programmes under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to support their reintegration into their communities and society.
Represented by the commission’s state Field Coordinator, Hajia Lubah Liman, he noted that upon arrival, the returnees were registered and profiled by officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) at the airport to ensure proper documentation.
He then commended the seamless collaboration, among participating agencies, noting that their joint efforts ensured the success of the operation, highlighting it’s importances in addressing migration-related challenges.
Stakeholders present at the reception, include representatives from the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), International Organisation for Migration (IOM), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Department of State Services (DSS), the police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Red Cross Society, Kano State Ministry of Youth and Sports, Kano State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster and Poverty Reduction, and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), among others.
