The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Monday received 708 Nigerians who had been stranded in Niamey, Niger Republic, in a government-led evacuation operation.
Dr. Nura Abdullahi, Head of Operations at NEMA’s Kano office, told journalists at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport that the returnees arrived around 4:08 pm in 12 buses and were immediately registered and screened.
The group includes 292 males and 416 females, consisting of both adults and children, from states including Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Benue, Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kogi, and Niger. Medical teams from the Nigerian Red Cross attended to those in need, while serious cases were referred to state hospitals.
Abdullahi also urged Nigerians, especially young people, to avoid risking their lives by traveling abroad illegally in search of better opportunities.
Hajiya Luba Liman, Kano Field Coordinator for the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), described the evacuation as a coordinated effort involving several government agencies in collaboration with the Nigerian Embassy in Niamey and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
She emphasized that the return was voluntary and specifically arranged for those who could not afford to make the journey home on their own.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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