No fewer than 263 stranded Nigerians have voluntarily returned to the country, arriving in Kano on Thursday aboard two Sky Mali flights from Agadez in the Republic of Niger.
The returnees landed at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in two batches.
Representing the Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Aliyu Tijani, the Kano State Coordinator of the Commission, Mrs Lubah Liman, said the operation was part of ongoing efforts to ensure the safe and dignified return of Nigerians stranded abroad.
The first flight arrived at about 12:50 pm with 116 passengers, while the second touched down around 4:35 pm conveying 147 persons, mostly young men, alongside a few women and children.
The repatriation was facilitated under the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration programme of the International Organization for Migration, in collaboration with the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons.
Upon arrival, the returnees were conveyed to the Nigerian Immigration Service Training School in Kano for documentation and profiling. Officials emphasised that the process was strictly voluntary and followed due consultations with the migrants.
According to Liman, “Officials of NCFRMI and the Nigerian Immigration Service are conducting profiling and documentation, while other agencies, including the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, the Department of State Services, the National Emergency Management Agency, and the Kano State Emergency Management Agency, are providing additional support.”
She explained that after documentation, the returnees would receive multipurpose cash assistance and transportation support to enable them to return to their respective communities and rebuild their lives.
She added that reintegration assistance would also be provided to help beneficiaries establish small businesses.
Liman reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to migrant protection and reintegration under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that collaboration with the International Organization for Migration and other stakeholders underscores efforts to address irregular migration and safeguard Nigerian citizens abroad.
