NEMA: 266 stranded Nigerians were returned from the Niger Republic.

266 more stranded Nigerians from the neighboring Niger Republic were brought to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Friday.

Alhaji Mustapha Ahmed-Habib, the Director-General of NEMA, revealed this while welcoming the returnees at Kano’s Malam Aminu Kano International Airport.

The returnees landed in the international terminal of the airport, according to Ahmed-Habib, who was speaking on behalf of NEMA Coordinator Kano Territorial Office, Dr. Nuradeen Abdullahi.

“One hundred and thirty returnees arrived late Thursday night at about 10:50 p.m. while 136 arrived on Friday at about 3:50 a.m. with SKY MALI Airlines operated by Ethiopian airlines FML5001 with registration number VR-CQX”

He stated that a voluntary repatriation scheme was used to transport the returnees from Niamey, the capital of the Niger Republic, to Kano under the supervision of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

“The programme was meant for the distressed Nigerians who had left the country to seek greener pastures in various European countries and could not afford to return when their journey became frustrated.

“The returnees included 144 adult males, 56 adult females and 66 children.

“The returnees are from different parts of the country, some from Katsina, Kaduna, Bauchi, Sokoto and Kano States, among others,” he stated.

The director-general added that the returnees will receive a four-day instruction on how to become self-sufficient as well as seed money to enable them to start profitable businesses and become independent.

“We want you to serve as ambassadors who would be sensitising other Nigerians against irregular migration,“ he said.

In his words, “no country is better than our own country, Nigeria,” therefore he urged the populace to avoid jeopardizing their lives by emigrating in search of safer havens abroad.

According to Ahmed-Habib, the organization welcomed 723 stranded Nigerians repatriated from Agadas, Republic, Khartoum, Sudan, and Chad between April and December 13, 2022, and they were trained in a variety of skill acquisitions.

He urged them to take lessons from their mistakes and uphold the law.

In describing their struggles, Hajiya Salamatu Muhammad of Kano State claimed that she and her six-year-old granddaughter went to Niger in search of better lands.

She said “Initially, I intended to travel to Algeria but on our way the driver dropped us in a town called Asamaka in Niger Republic.

“My husband is old and his shop has been seized so I had no option than to travel to seek greener pasture.

“Before I left Nigeria I was into making fura (millet dough ball). We spent six months in Asamaka, we suffered in the process. My granddaughter took ill as a result and could not eat and had to be administered drip to survive,” she added.

Another returning citizen from Zaria, Kaduna State, Usman Kabir, claimed that he had sold his land in order to leave for Libya in search of greener pastures.

“I was a phone repairer before I left Zaria.  I saw one of my friends sending money to his parents from Libya that was why I decided to seek greener pasture.

“My parents are poor and I am their first child so I decided to travel to enable me to cater for my parents and siblings, but unfortunately I was stranded in the Sahara desert.

“My dream of becoming rich has ended. I feel shy to go back to my family because I came back with nothing.

“We were many that were stranded in the Sahara and many people died from snake bites.