By Ebi Kesiena
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has received 37 Nigerian nationals repatriated from the Republic of Türkiye through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as part of the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to ensure the safe return and reintegration of distressed citizens abroad.
The agency disclosed this in a statement on Monday, noting that the returnees arrived aboard a chartered flight following an official notification from the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to NEMA, its Abuja Operations Office coordinated a comprehensive reception exercise in collaboration with relevant government agencies and humanitarian partners to ensure the returnees were received in a dignified and orderly manner.
The agency said the exercise included documentation, profiling, medical screening and the provision of immediate humanitarian assistance before the returnees were handed over to the appropriate authorities for reintegration support.
Speaking during the reception, the Head of NEMA’s Abuja Operations Office, Pharm. Zakari Abubakar, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to safeguarding the welfare of returning Nigerians.
“At NEMA, our priority is to ensure that every returning Nigerian is treated with dignity, compassion and respect. We encourage our compatriots to embrace this opportunity for a fresh start, remain law-abiding, and take advantage of available government support programmes aimed at facilitating their successful reintegration into society,” he said.
Abubakar also commended the strong collaboration among agencies involved in the exercise, stressing that effective inter-agency cooperation remains critical to the successful reception and reintegration of returning migrants.
NEMA said the operation was carried out with the support of the Nigerian Immigration Service, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, airport authorities, security agencies and other relevant stakeholders.
The latest repatriation adds to a series of voluntary return operations coordinated by the Federal Government. In June, NEMA received 123 Nigerians who returned from Algeria under the Assisted Voluntary Return programme facilitated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Earlier in April, the agency also welcomed 181 Nigerians repatriated from Tripoli, Libya, under the same initiative aimed at ensuring their safe return and reintegration into society.
