A total of 390 Nigerian migrants, including 387 adult males, 2 adult females, and 1 infant boy, who had been stranded in Niamey, Niger Republic, have returned to Nigeria. They arrived at the Nigeria Immigration Training School in Kano on Tuesday morning.
According to Punch, this repatriation follows a similar operation in December 2024, during which 702 Nigerians were brought back from Niger Republic as part of a multi-agency initiative by the Nigerian Mission in Niamey in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration.
State Welcome Reception
Upon their arrival in Kano, the returnees were welcomed at a reception attended by officials. Tijjani Ahmed, the Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), emphasized the Federal Government’s commitment to reintegrating the returnees through various empowerment programs under President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.
Represented by Hajiya Liman, the Kano State Field Coordinator, Ahmed noted that this operation is part of the ongoing voluntary return program that began in 2024 and marks the third batch of returnees from Niger Republic.
“Upon arrival, the returnees were registered and profiled by NCFRMI and Nigeria Immigration Service officials to ensure proper documentation and access to various federal government reintegration support programmes.
“Upon arrival, the returnees were registered and profiled by NCFRMI and Nigeria Immigration Service officials to ensure proper documentation and access to various federal government reintegration support programmes.” He concluded.
The returnees underwent registration and profiling by officials from the NCFRMI and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to ensure proper documentation and facilitate access to reintegration support programs offered by the federal government.
The Federal Government plans to provide these returnees with the necessary resources and programs to help them reintegrate into society and resume their normal lives.