Nigerian Government Welcomes Home 497 Stranded Citizens from Niger Republic

The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) has successfully received 497 Nigerian migrants who were stranded in Niger Republic. The returnees, who were evacuated from Agadez in Niger Republic, arrived at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on Friday, May 22, at about 12:25pm. They were received by officials from the NCFRMI's Kano Field Office, alongside representatives from other relevant agencies. According to the Federal Commissioner of the NCFRMI, Dr. Tijjani Aliyu Ahmed, the evacuation was a result of a coordinated humanitarian effort between the Federal Government and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The commissioner, who was represented by the Kano Field Coordinator, Lubah Liman, stated that the returnees were brought back under the IOM's Voluntary Humanitarian Return programme. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier notified the NCFRMI of the planned evacuation, which was carried out in collaboration with the IOM and other government agencies. The exercise was conducted in two batches, with the first batch initially expected to comprise about 600 returnees, but eventually arriving with 497 persons. The reception exercise was coordinated by the NCFRMI, in collaboration with agencies such as the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Department of State Services (DSS), SEMA, and the Nigerian Red Cross Society. The returnees underwent documentation processes, including MIDAS registration by the Nigeria Immigration Service, before being taken to the Immigration Training School in Kano for feeding, profiling, and other humanitarian support services. A breakdown of the returnees showed that there were 174 adult males, 97 adult females, 137 boys, and 89 girls.