On Wednesday, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) received another batch of 143 repatriated Nigerians from Niamey, Niger Republic.
On May 9, the agency received 148 Nigerians repatriated from Niamey.
NEMA coordinator, Kano Territorial Office, Nuradeen Abdullahi, disclosed this while receiving the returnees at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.
“The returnees arrived aboard SKY MALI Airlines, operated by Ethiopian airline B737-400 with registration number UR-CQX at about 2:35 p.m.
“They were repatriated to Nigeria from Niamey under the care of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) through a voluntary repatriation programme.
“The programme is meant for distressed Nigerians who had left the country to seek greener pastures in various European countries and could not afford to return when their journeys were aborted midway,” Mr Abdullahi said.
He said the returnees comprised 93 male adults, 22 female adults and 28 children (14 females and 14 males).
“The returnees are from different parts of Nigeria, particularly Katsina, Kano, Adamawa, Lagos, Enugu and Edo states, among others.
“They will undergo a three-day training programme on how to achieve self-sustainability and will be provided with seed capitals to enable them to engage in productive ventures to be self-reliant,” Mr Abdullahi said.
He advised the general public to avoid endangering their lives by embarking on journeys not adequately planned to seek greener pastures in other countries.
Representatives of SEMA, NEMA, Nigeria Red Cross, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs, and NSCDC, among others, were on ground to receive the returnees.
(NAN)