ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has received 497 Nigerian migrants repatriated from Niamey in the Niger Republic to Kano State.
The returnees arrived at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport on Friday at about 12:40pm.
Head of Operations at the NEMA Kano Office, Dr. Nura Abdullahi, explained that the exercise was voluntary and not a forced deportation.
“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,” Abdullahi said.
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He explained that the operation was coordinated through a partnership involving the Nigerian Mission in Niger Republic, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to ensure the safe return of stranded Nigerians.
According to him, the returnees included 174 men, 97 women, 137 boys, and 89 girls from Kano, Jigawa, Borno, Kaduna, and other states.
Abdullahi stated that NEMA and relevant stakeholders provided support for the returnees upon arrival, while the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons supplied drugs to the Nigerian Red Cross medical team for those with health concerns.
He attributed the migration of many of the returnees to the search for better economic opportunities abroad, noting that most were believed to be heading to Libya before abandoning the journey due to its dangers.
The NEMA official added that the agency provided meals and would transport the migrants to their respective states after profiling and verification.
Advising Nigerians against risking dangerous migration journeys in search of greener pastures, Abdullahi said: “No country is better than their country of origin.”
One of the returnees, Sani Hamisu from Kano State, said he travelled to Libya because of financial difficulties and the desire to support his family.
“I wanted to support my family as the first son and also get married, so I decided to travel to Libya.
“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.
Hamisu revealed that he spent six years in Libya doing menial jobs before eventually returning to Nigeria without any savings.
“IOM rescued us in the desert and took us back to Niger Republic before we were brought to Nigeria,” he said.
Another returnee, Harira Muhammad from Borno State, said she travelled to Libya eight months ago in search of income to support her injured husband.
“My husband was knocked down by a car during a Boko Haram attack, and has had a leg fracture since then.
“I travelled to Libya in search of greener pastures, but we were attacked by bandits who collected our money,” she said.
She appealed to the government to assist the returnees with business support to help them rebuild their lives and care for their families.