No fewer than 390 Nigerian migrants stranded in Niamey, Niger Republic has been repatriated, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), said.
The 390 evacuees comprised 387 male adults, two female adult and one infant.
The NCFRMI, in collaboration with other stakeholders, coordinated the reception exercise for the returnees at the Immigration Training School, Kano (ITSK), around 1am on Tuesday.
Their arrival was a coordinated multi-agency operation organized by the Nigerian Mission in Niamey and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
This latest effort marks the continuation of voluntary returns initiated in 2024 and represents the third batch of returnees from Niger Republic.
So far, 1,103 Nigerians have been brought back from Niger Republic since December last year.
According to a statement by the Commission, upon arrival, the returnees were registered and profiled by NCFRMI and NIS officials to ensure proper documentation and access to various federal government reintegration support programmes.
The Federal Commissioner of the NCFRMI, Tijani Ahmed, reaffirmed federal government’s commitment to reintegrating the returnees.
Ahmed who was represented by the Kano Field Coordinator, Hajia Lubah Liman, said that the returnees will be integrated into various empowerment programmes under the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to support their reintegration.
He commended the seamless collaboration among participating agencies, noting that their joint efforts ensured the success of the operation.
He highlighted the critical role of multi-agency collaboration in addressing migration-related challenges.
Stakeholders present at the reception exercise included representatives from the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), among others.
