Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
On Friday, May 22, 2026, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) received 497 stranded Nigerian migrants repatriated from Agadez and Niamey in the Niger Republic, marking another major humanitarian return operation involving Nigerians caught in dangerous migration routes across the Sahara Desert. The returnees arrived at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, at about 12:25 p.m. to 12:40 p.m., where federal agencies began emergency profiling, medical screening, and humanitarian assistance.
The operation was coordinated by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the Nigerian Mission in Niger Republic, and multiple humanitarian and security agencies. Officials described the evacuation as a voluntary humanitarian return programme designed to rescue Nigerians stranded in migration transit zones across the Sahel region.
According to NEMA’s Head of Operations in Kano, Dr. Nura Abdullahi, the returnees included 174 adult males, 97 adult females, 137 boys, and 89 girls from different states including Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna, Borno, Plateau, and Bauchi states. Authorities said many of them had embarked on irregular migration journeys toward Libya and Europe before becoming trapped in Niger Republic after running out of money, facing insecurity, or encountering trafficking and smuggling networks operating along desert corridors.
The return operation formed part of a larger migration emergency that has intensified in recent months across Niger Republic, which remains one of the main transit routes for African migrants attempting to reach North Africa and Europe through the Sahara Desert. Agadez, from where many of the migrants were evacuated, has long been identified by international migration agencies as one of the most active migration hubs in West Africa.
Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Dr. Tijjani Aliyu Ahmed, disclosed that the evacuation followed an official notification sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its Consular and Migration Affairs Division. According to him, the evacuation exercise was scheduled to hold between May 22 and May 25, 2026, and was designed to take place in batches. The first batch, originally projected to contain about 600 migrants, eventually arrived with 497 people.
Officials from NEMA, NCFRMI, the Nigerian Red Cross, Nigeria Immigration Service, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Kano State Emergency Management Agency participated in the reception and screening exercise at the airport.
The migrants were immediately provided with cooked meals, temporary shelter materials, blankets, mosquito nets, wrappers, toiletries, sanitary pads, and other relief items after arrival. Medical officials from the Nigerian Red Cross were also deployed to handle returnees suffering from dehydration, exhaustion, illness, and trauma sustained during their journeys across the desert. Severe medical cases were referred to health facilities within Kano State.
Several returnees narrated painful experiences during the evacuation exercise. One of them, Sani Hamisu from Kano State, revealed that he travelled to Libya six years ago in search of better economic opportunities after struggling financially at home. According to him, many migrants died in the Sahara Desert from thirst and hunger after their water supplies finished during long desert crossings. He said he eventually survived after being rescued by IOM officials and taken back to Niger Republic before returning to Nigeria.
Another returnee, Harira Muhammad from Borno State, said she travelled to Libya eight months ago hoping to support her husband, who had become ill and unable to work. She reportedly became stranded during the journey and later joined the voluntary return programme after facing worsening hardship abroad.
The latest evacuation is part of a growing pattern of mass repatriations involving Nigerians stranded in Niger Republic and North African migration corridors. On March 23, 2026, NEMA also received 708 stranded Nigerians evacuated from Niger Republic in another large-scale operation. That batch included migrants from Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Benue, Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kogi, and Niger states.
Just days later, on March 30, another 522 stranded Nigerians were voluntarily repatriated from Niamey to Kano under similar humanitarian arrangements. Officials said most of the migrants had attempted to reach Libya or Algeria through dangerous illegal routes before becoming stranded.
Authorities say worsening economic hardship, unemployment, insecurity, and the false promises of traffickers continue to push many young Nigerians toward irregular migration despite repeated warnings about the dangers of desert crossings and human trafficking networks. Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly documented deaths, kidnappings, exploitation, extortion, and abuse faced by migrants moving through the Sahel corridor toward North Africa.
The migration crisis has also intensified amid growing instability in Niger Republic itself. Since the 2023 military coup in Niger, regional tensions, border restrictions, economic difficulties, and insecurity linked to extremist violence have significantly worsened conditions across the country. Earlier this year, Niger’s capital, Niamey, experienced a major extremist attack targeting Diori Hamani International Airport and military facilities, reflecting the fragile security environment in the region.
NEMA officials warned Nigerians against risking their lives through illegal migration routes, insisting that many migrants eventually return home with severe trauma, financial losses, or empty-handed after years abroad. Dr. Abdullahi said many of the returnees only realised the dangers of the journey after witnessing deaths and suffering in the desert.
After profiling and documentation, the returnees are expected to be transported to their various home states for reintegration and rehabilitation support under ongoing federal humanitarian programmes.
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