The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has repatriated 497 Nigerian citizens stranded in Niamey, Niger Republic back to Nigeria. The returnees arrived at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, yesterday and were received by officials of the agency at about 12:40 p.m.
Voluntary Evacuation Exercise
Speaking with journalists after receiving the returnees, the Head of Operations, NEMA Kano Office, Dr. Nura Abdullahi, said the exercise was a voluntary evacuation of Nigerians who had indicated interest in returning home. Abdullahi explained that the operation was a tripartite arrangement involving the Nigerian Mission in Niger Republic, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to ensure the safe and dignified return of stranded Nigerians.
Composition of Returnees
He stated that the returnees comprised 174 males, 97 females, 137 boys, and 89 girls from Kano, Jigawa, Borno, Kaduna, and other states. According to Abdullahi, the agency, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, catered for the returnees upon arrival. “It is a voluntary repatriation of Nigerians from Niger Republic. The returnees were brought back by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he said.
He added that the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons provided drugs to the Nigerian Red Cross medical team for returnees with health challenges. Abdullahi attributed the migration of many of the returnees to the search for better economic opportunities abroad, noting that most were likely heading to Libya but returned after realizing the journey was unsafe.
Support Provided
The NEMA official said the agency provided meals, and after physical verification and profiling, the returnees would be transported back to their respective states. While advising Nigerians to avoid traveling abroad in search of greener pastures, Abdullahi stated that “no country is better than their country of origin.”
Returnees' Stories
One of the returnees, Sani Hamisu from Kano State, said he traveled to Libya in search of better opportunities after facing financial hardship. “I wanted to support my family as the first son and also get married, so I decided to travel to Libya,” he said. “In the desert, there was no water and no food, many died. Once your water finishes, nobody can help you even with a cup of water.” He said he spent six years in Libya doing different menial jobs and eventually returned home empty-handed. “IOM rescued us in the desert and took us back to Niger Republic before we were brought to Nigeria,” he added.
Another returnee, Harira Muhammad, a mother of two from Borno, said she traveled to Libya eight months ago to support her sick husband. “My husband was knocked down by a car during a Boko Haram attack, and has had a leg fracture since then. I traveled to Libya in search of greener pastures, but we were attacked by bandits who collected our money,” she recounted.
