The Federal Government, Nigerian Mission in Niamey and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have received 403 Nigerian migrants who had been stranded in the Niger Republic.
The government explained that the humanitarian initiative was the second batch of voluntary returnees from Niger Republic within the week, following the arrival of 310 returnees on Tuesday, 17th December 2024.
The Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Aliyu Tijani Ahmed, in a statement, yesterday, explained that the reception exercise was conducted at the Nigerian Immigration Service Training School in Kano State.
Ahmed, represented by the Kano State NCFRMI Coordinator, Lubah Liman, emphasized the government’s commitment to reintegrating the returnees into various government programmes under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Liman also commended the seamless collaboration among the participating agencies, which ensured the success of the operation.
She disclosed that the returnees comprised 165 males, 56 females, 182 children and infants.
“Officers from NCFRMI and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) profiled the returnees upon arrival, while representatives from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the Department of State Security (DSS), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and the Kano State Emergency Management Agency were on hand to provide additional support and assistance.
“This ongoing effort reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring the safe and dignified return of Nigerians stranded abroad and highlights the importance of multi-agency collaboration in addressing migration-related challenges,” she added.
