The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has facilitated the return of 497 Nigerian migrants from Niamey, Niger Republic, to Kano State.
The returnees arrived at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport on Friday at about 12:40 p.m., where they were received by officials of the agency.
According to the Head of Operations at the NEMA Kano Office, Dr Nura Abdullahi, the exercise was part of a voluntary repatriation programme and not a forced evacuation.
“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.
Abdullahi explained that the operation was carried out through a joint effort involving the Nigerian Mission in Niger Republic, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), aimed at ensuring the safe and dignified return of stranded Nigerians.
He added that the returnees consisted of 174 males, 97 females, 137 boys, and 89 girls, drawn from states including Kano, Jigawa, Borno, Kaduna, among others.
He further stated that relevant agencies were on ground to cater for the returnees upon arrival, while medical support was also provided where necessary.
“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 said.
He noted that many of the returnees left Nigeria in search of better economic opportunities, with several of them originally intending to reach Libya before abandoning the journey after encountering dangerous conditions.
Abdullahi also confirmed that after profiling and verification, the returnees would be transported back to their respective home states, while they were provided with meals and initial support on arrival.
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He advised Nigerians against irregular migration in search of better opportunities abroad, stressing that, “no country is better than their country of origin.”
One of the returnees, Sani Hamisu from Kano State, recounted that he travelled to Libya due to financial hardship and a desire to support his family and future marriage plans.
“I wanted to support my family as the first son and also get married, so I decided to travel to Libya,” he said.
Describing his ordeal, he added, “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 explained that he spent six years in Libya doing menial jobs before eventually returning home without success, adding that he was rescued in the desert and taken back through Niger Republic with the help of the International Organisation for Migration.
“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, a mother of two from Borno State, said she left for Libya eight months ago in a bid to support her husband, who was injured during a Boko Haram-related attack.
“My husband was knocked down by a car during a Boko Haram attack, and has had a leg fracture since then
She also revealed that she lost her money during an attack by armed men on the journey.
“I travelled to Libya in search of greener pastures, but we were attacked by bandits who collected our money,” she said.
Harira called on the government to assist returnees with financial support and business grants to help them rebuild their lives and cater for their families.