Refugees: FG, IOM Receive 403 Voluntary Returnees from Niger Republic

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The federal government in a coordinated multi-agency effort, has successfully facilitated the return of 403 Nigerian migrants who had been stranded in the Niger Republic.

The humanitarian return was jointly organized by the Nigerian Mission in Niamey and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

In a statement released by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally displaced Persons, this marks the second batch of voluntary returns from Niger Republic within one week, following the arrival of 310 returnees on Tuesday, 17th December 2024.  

It stated that speaking on behalf of the Federal Commissioner of NCFRMI, Aliyu Tijani Ahmed, the Kano State Coordinator of the Commission, Mrs. Lubah Liman, emphasized the government’s commitment to reintegrating the returnees into various government programs under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

She also commended the seamless collaboration among the participating agencies, which ensured the success of the operation.  

It read in part: “Mrs. Liman reported that the returnees comprised 165 males, 56 females, 182 children and infants.  

“Officers from NCFRMI and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) profiled the returnees upon arrival, while representatives from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the Department of State Security (DSS), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and the Kano State Emergency Management Agency were on hand to provide additional support and assistance”.  

The reception exercise was conducted at the Nigerian Immigration Service Training School in Kano and was coordinated by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI).