The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, on Saturday received another batch of 140 Nigerians stranded in Agadez, Niger Republic.
The NEMA coordinator, Kano Territorial Office, Nuradeen Abdullahi, confirmed this while receiving the returnees in Kano.
According to him, the returnees were brought back to Kano at about 9.38 p.m in three luxury buses under the care of the International Organisation for Migration, IOM, from Agadez.
Mr Abdullahi noted that the returnees were brought back through a voluntary repatriation programme for the distressed who had left the country to seek greener pastures in various European countries and could not afford to return when their journey became frustrated.
The returnees included 100 male adults, 30 female adults and 10 children (six female and four male), he said.
“The returnees are from different parts of the country, some from Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Jos, Lagos and Cross River, among other states.”
The coordinator further explained that the returnees would be trained for four days to be self-reliant and be given a grant to start off businesses.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the returnees were given clothes, food, toiletries, blankets, mosquito nets, pampers and sanitary pad each.
He enjoined the returnees to be ambassadors towards advocacy and sensitisation against irregular migration.
“Nigerians should avoid endangering their lives by travelling to seek for greener pastures in other countries as no country is better than Nigeria,” Mr Abdullahi said.
A returnee, Aisha Lawal, from Kaduna State, a divorcee and mother of five, said she travelled to Libya for greener pasture with one of her kids.
“I was a business woman before I left my husband, we are suffering and i have no capital to continue with my business that was why I decided to travel to Libya,” she said.
Another returnee, Richard Odogwu from Lagos State, said before he travelled he was working in a company.
“I was sacked from the company I work to make little money in taking care of my six siblings.
“My parents are dead and I have to take care of my siblings that was why i decided to travel to Libya to search for greener pasture,” said Mr Odogwu.
NAN recalls that the agency had between May and June received a total of 227 stranded Nigerians from Agadez.
The returnees were received by NEMA along with other agencies, including Nigeria Red Cross, SEMA, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs as well as the SSS.
NAN
