- Safiu Kehinde
At least 148 vulnerable Nigerians repatriated from Niger Republic as arrived at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
According to the statement, the agency’s Lagos Territorial Office, alongside other key stakeholders, received the returnees who were repatriated from Niger Republic on Tuesday.
The group of returnees comprising of 120 adult males, 9 adult females, 10 male children, 7 female children, and 2 infants were conveyed to Nigeria by Skymali flight.
While the cause of their repatriation was undisclosed, NEMA said they have been handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Service(NIS) and transported to the biometric registration centre for documentation.
The statement read in part; “The NEMA Lagos Territorial Office (LTO), alongside other key stakeholders, welcomed a new group of returnees repatriated from Niger Republic on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
“The returnees landed at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Cargo Terminal, at approximately 2:15 PM on Skymali flight ER-CTZ, with a total of 148 individuals. The group included 120 adult males, 9 adult females, 10 male children, 7 female children, and 2 infants.
“Due to heavy rain, there was a brief delay in moving the returnees from the aircraft. Once the weather cleared, officials from the Nigerian Immigration Service arrived, and the aircraft handlers provided buses to transport the returnees to the biometric registration center for documentation.
“Other stakeholders present included representatives from NCFRMI, IOM, and FAAN.”