497 Nigerians Repatriated From Niger Republic Arrive Kano

No fewer than 497 stranded Nigerian migrants repatriated from Agadez in Niger Republic arrived in Kano on Friday under the Voluntary Humanitarian Return programme facilitated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with the Federal Government.

The returnees were received at the Aminu Kano International Airport by officials of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Kano Field Office, alongside other relevant agencies.

According to a statement issued by the Kano Field Coordinator of the commission, Hajiya Lubah Liman, the returnees arrived at about 12:25pm through land movement via the Jibia border before being brought to Kano.

The statement explained that the repatriation exercise followed a formal notification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consular and Migration Affairs Division, Abuja, on the evacuation of about 1,100 stranded Nigerian migrants from Agadez between May 22 and 25, 2026.

The commission disclosed that the exercise was planned in two batches in collaboration with the IOM, with the first batch initially expected to consist of about 600 returnees from different parts of the country.

However, the actual number received on Friday stood at 497.

A breakdown of the returnees showed that 174 were male adults, 97 female adults, 137 male children and 89 female children.

The reception exercise was coordinated by the NCFRMI in collaboration with key stakeholders, including the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Department of State Services (DSS), State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the Nigerian Red Cross.

The statement added that the returnees underwent documentation processes, including MIDAS registration by the Nigeria Immigration Service, before being moved to the Immigration Training School, Kano, for feeding, profiling and other humanitarian support services.

Some of the returnees reportedly narrated their ordeals while stranded in Agadez and appealed to the Federal and state governments, development partners, philanthropists and well-meaning Nigerians to support their reintegration into society.