No fewer than 497 Nigerian migrants evacuated from Niger Republic have been received by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI).
The returnees arrived at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on Friday afternoon from Agadez, Niger Republic.
Officials of the commission’s Kano Field Office alongside other government agencies received the migrants upon arrival.
FG, IOM Coordinate Evacuation
Speaking during the reception exercise, the Federal Commissioner of the commission, Tijjani Aliyu Ahmed, said the evacuation followed a humanitarian arrangement between the Federal Government and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Represented by Kano Field Coordinator, Lubah Liman, the commissioner disclosed that the evacuation was carried out under the Voluntary Humanitarian Return programme of the IOM.
According to him, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier informed the commission about plans to evacuate stranded Nigerians from Agadez between May 22 and May 25, 2026.
Returnees Arrive In Two Batches
The commissioner explained that the evacuation exercise was scheduled to take place in two batches.
“The first batch, initially projected to comprise about 600 returnees, arrived with a total of 497 persons,” he said.
The migrants were later moved for profiling and humanitarian support after completing documentation processes.
Breakdown Of Returnees
Authorities revealed that the returnees included men, women and children.
According to the breakdown released by the commission, the evacuees comprised 174 adult males, 97 adult females, 137 boys and 89 girls.
The migrants were documented through the MIDAS registration process conducted by the Nigeria Immigration Service before being moved to the Immigration Training School in Kano.
Several Agencies Participate
The reception exercise involved multiple agencies including National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, National Emergency Management Agency, the Nigeria Immigration Service, NDLEA, DSS, NSCDC, SEMA and the Nigerian Red Cross Society.
Officials said the returnees would receive feeding, profiling and other humanitarian assistance as part of the reintegration process.