The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in collaboration with key government agencies and humanitarian partners, has coordinated the safe reception of 37 Nigerian nationals repatriated from the Republic of Türkiye at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
According to an official statement signed by the Press Unit of NEMA Abuja Operations Office, the returnees arrived aboard a chartered aircraft on Monday following a notification from the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to facilitate the orderly return of stranded Nigerian citizens.
The statement said NEMA’s Abuja Operations Office activated a multi-agency reception mechanism to ensure a seamless, dignified and humane process for the returnees upon arrival.
It noted that the coordinated exercise involved documentation, profiling, medical screening and the provision of immediate humanitarian assistance before the returnees were handed over to the appropriate authorities for reintegration.
Speaking during the reception exercise, the Head of NEMA Abuja Operations Office, Pharm. Zakari Abubakar, reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to protecting the dignity and welfare of vulnerable persons through effective collaboration with partner institutions.
He said every returning Nigerian deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion and respect, urging the returnees to embrace the opportunity for a fresh start by remaining law-abiding and taking advantage of available government reintegration programmes.
Abubakar also commended the synergy among participating agencies, describing inter-agency collaboration as critical to ensuring efficient reception procedures and sustainable reintegration support for returning migrants.
The reception exercise brought together officials 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.
