The Federal Government has repatriated no fewer than 150 stranded Nigerians from Niamey, Niger Republic.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq stated this while receiving the returnees at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, MAKIA on Monday evening.
She said the exercise was conducted in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration, and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
According to her, the returnees were brought back to Kano, under the care of the International Organisation for Migration , and ECOWAS from Niger Republic (Niamey), through a voluntary repatriation programme.
She said the deportees arrived at the international wing of the airport at about 3:45 p.m. on Monday.
Represented by the Director of Humanitarian Services of the Ministry, Alhaji Grema Ali, the minister explained that 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.
Recounting their ordeals, one of those repatriated, Amina Aliyu from Kano State who spoke to journalists, said she traveled to Niger with her three kids and sister Zara’u Aliyu, to seek for greener pastures.
“We intended to travel to Algeria but on our way, the driver dropped us in the Niger Republic. We really suffered without food and water. My husband ran away and left me with my kids for the past three years and my parents are old and poor so I had no option than to travel to seek for greener pastures”
Another returnee, Aminu Suleiman, from Yobe State, said he traveled to Libya to seek greener pastures.
“I was a tailor before I left Yobe, I wanted to travel to Europe from Libya to seek for greener pasture because I wanted to open a fashion academy in Nigeria”
The returnees were received by the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA and the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA in collaboration with other sister security agencies, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs and Nigeria Red Cross and DSS.