The Nigerian government has repatriated 104 stranded citizens from N’Djamena, the capital city of Chad Republic, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). The returnees, consisting of 34 males, 18 females and 52 children, are from Kano, Katsina, Borno, Akwa Ibom and Yobe states. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) conducted the voluntary repatriation program, aimed at helping distressed Nigerians who had left the country in search of greener pastures in Europe but could not afford to return when their journey became frustrating.
Receiving the returnees at the Aminu Kano International Airport, the NEMA coordinator in the state, Nurudeen Abdullahi, said the stranded Nigerians arrived in Nigeria at about 2:15 pm. He added that the returnees would be engaged in skills acquisition programs for quick integration into society. Abdullahi, however, advised Nigerians to desist from illegal migration and avoid exposing their lives to danger while searching for greener pastures.
This recent repatriation is part of the government’s efforts to bring back stranded Nigerians across the world. Earlier this year, 151 stranded Nigerians were returned from Benghazi, Libya, and an additional 128 illegal Nigerian migrants were repatriated from Tripoli, Libya’s capital city, two days later.