FG evacuates 522 stranded Nigerians from Niger

The Federal Government on Sunday evacuated 522 stranded Nigerians from Niger Republic.

The exercise is part of a voluntary repatriation effort initiated by the federal government.

The returnees in 12 luxury buses arrived at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano at around 5.10pm for profiling.

In a conversation with journalists who received the returnees, Chief of Operations of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Kano Office, Dr. Nura Abdullahi said the exercise was purely voluntary and not a forced evacuation.

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He said: “This is a voluntary repatriation of Nigerians from Niger Republic. The returnees were brought back by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

He said those who returned consisted of 267 men, 101 women, 82 men and 72 women from various regions in Nigeria particularly, Kano, Jigawa, Plateau, Bauchi.

He added that NEMA, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, has put in place adequate arrangements to serve the returnees upon arrival.

“We mobilized all relevant stakeholders. The Nigerian Red Cross was present with its medical team, and we also provided a mobile intensive care unit.

“As you can see, some of them have health problems and are already receiving medical treatment,” the NEMA official said.