By Elizabeth Godwin
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed the repatriation of 139 Nigerian migrants from Agadez, Niger Republic, as part of ongoing efforts to ensure the safe and dignified return of citizens stranded abroad.
In a statement issued by its Kano Operations Office, NEMA disclosed that the returnees arrived in Nigeria on Tuesday, July 29, aboard a Sky Mali flight. The aircraft landed at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) at approximately 7:57 p.m.
According to the agency, the group comprised 22 male adults, 52 female adults, 33 male children, and 32 female children. After landing, the returnees were immediately documented and transported to Badala Hotel in Kano for temporary accommodation, where profiling and further reception activities were conducted the next day, July 30, 2025.
NEMA stated that the exercise was part of a broader initiative to protect Nigerian migrants and facilitate their safe return home under humane and orderly conditions. “The reception exercise was well coordinated and successfully conducted,” the agency noted.
Agadez, a transit hub in northern Niger, is known for hosting a large number of African migrants, many of whom face harsh conditions while attempting to reach North Africa or Europe through irregular routes. The Nigerian government, in collaboration with international partners, has been working to repatriate citizens caught in such vulnerable circumstances.
This latest operation reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring the welfare of its citizens, regardless of where they are, and follows a series of similar repatriation efforts in recent years.
NEMA reiterated its resolve to continue working with relevant stakeholders to provide returnees with reintegration support and prevent unsafe migration practices.
