The Nigerian Government has received 108 stranded citizens from the Republic of Niger.
The return was coordinated and facilitated by the Federal Government in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration, IOM.
In a coordinated and all-of-government approach, through the National Commission For Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, the reception exercise took place at the Cargo terminal of the Murtala Mohamed International Airport, in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
Representing the Federal Commissioner, Aliyu Ahmed, the Southwest Zonal Coordinator, Mr. Alexander Oturu, stated that in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the returnees would be integrated into various government programmes, as well as the reintegration programmes of the UN Migration Agency, IOM.
According to Mr Oturu, there were 32 males, 29 females, 44 children and 3 infants on board the IOM chartered flight from Niger Republic.
The migrants were conveyed to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, camp where the NCFRMI and IOM have a tripartite agreement to provide temporary shelter for the returnees before they are provided with onward transportation allowance to enable them get to their final destinations.
Officers from the NCFRMI and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) profiled the migrants and officers from Port Health, FAAN, Federal Ministry of Labour (Migrants Resource Centre), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Child Protection Network and Web of Hearts Foundation were also in attendance to provide assistance.
