The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has taken custody of hundreds of Nigerians evacuated from abroad, marking a coordinated effort to assist citizens facing hardship and displacement outside the country.
The returnees included 292 male adults and children and 416 female adults and children from various states, including Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Benue, Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kogi, and Niger.
The evacuees arrived in 12 buses at about 4:08 p.m. in Kano. NEMA confirmed that all 708 individuals were brought from Niamey in Niger Republic and are currently undergoing verification procedures.
Head of Operations at NEMA Kano, Nura Abdullahi, briefed newsmen after receiving the returnees at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport. He explained that the evacuees were brought back through arrangements by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and have been provided with meals, temporary shelter, and essential items.
“They have also been given blankets, mosquito nets, and dignity kits containing toiletries, wrappers, sanitary pads, and other necessities,” Abdullahi said.
He added, “By tomorrow morning, after necessary profiling, they will be transported to their respective states.” Medical teams, including personnel from the Nigeria Red Cross, are attending to those requiring care, while serious cases will be referred for further treatment.
Hajiya Luba Liman, Kano Field Coordinator of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, described the process as a “whole-of-government approach” carried out with support from the Nigerian Embassy in Niamey.
She added, “This is a voluntary return. Many of them could not afford to come back on their own, so the government arranged for their evacuation.” Some returnees recounted experiences of hardship, including displacement, financial loss, and violence encountered during their stay abroad.
