4th April, 2023
By Ramatu Garba
Another batch of 144 stranded Nigerians have returned home from Niamey, Niger Republic, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Dr Nuradeen Abdullahi, NEMA Coordinator Kano Territorial Office, disclosed this while receiving the returnees at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano.
Represented by NEMA Kano Head of Human Resources, Mr Suleiman Sa’ad-Abubakar, he noted that the returnees arrived at the airport at about 2:30 p.m.
“The returnees were transported into Nigeria by SKY MALI Airlines, operated by Ethiopian airline B737-400 with registration number UR-CQX”
He said that the returnees were brought back under the care of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) from Niamey through a voluntary repatriation programme.
“The program was for the distressed, who had left the country to seek greener pastures in various European countries and could not afford to return when their journey became frustrated,” he said.
According to him, there were 106 male adults, 16 female adults, and 22 children (10 females and 12 males) among the returnees.
Abdullahi noted that the returnees came from various parts of the country, including Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Abia, Sokoto, and Edo.
He stated that the returnees would be trained on various skill acquisition programmes that would integrate them back into society and provide them with seed capital to enable them to be self-sufficient.
He advised Nigerians to avoid putting their lives in danger by travelling to other countries in search of greener pastures, adding that no country is better than Nigeria.
While recounting her ordeal, one of the returnees, Fatima Muhammad, a widow and mother of two, said she went to Algeria to seek greener pastures.
“No one to cater for me and my children, that was why I decided to seek for greener pasture. I regretted embarking on the ill-fated journey, but l thank God we came back safely
“Nigeria is far better than where we thought we could get better lives, we suffered,” Muhammad said
The returnees were received by officials of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs, the Red Cross Society, the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
NAN