Repatriation: 390 Nigerians Return From Niger Republic

By Ayodele Oni

The National Commission for Refugees has announced that another batch of no fewer than 390 Nigerian migrants, who were stranded in Niamey, Niger Republic, have been repatriated to the country.

The Commission stated that the returnees, comprising 387 adult males, two adult females, and one infant boy, arrived at the Nigeria Immigration Training School, Kano, at about 1:05 a.m. on Tuesday.

In December, 2024, a set of 702 stranded Nigerians were repatriated from Niger Republic.

During a reception held for them on Tuesday in Kano, the Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, Tijjani Ahmed, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to reintegrate the returnees into various empowerment programmes under the renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

He disclosed that the repatriation efforts were facilitated via a multi-agency operation organised by the Nigerian Mission in Niamey in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration.

Represented by the Kano State Field Coordinator, Hajiya Liman, the Commissioner said the latest effort marks the continuation of voluntary returns initiated in 2024 and represents the third batch of returnees from the Niger Republic.

“Upon arrival, the returnees were registered and profiled by NCFRMI and Nigeria Immigration Service officials to ensure proper documentation and access to various federal government reintegration support programmes.”

While commending the seamless collaborative efforts among the participating agencies, he stressed that the joint efforts ensured the success of the operation.