Archive July 31, 2025

In a coordinated operation at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Tuesday evening received 139 Nigerian migrants who had left Agadez, Niger Republic.

22 adult males, 52 adult females, 33 male children, and 32 female children made up the returnees, who arrived on a Sky Mali flight at 7:57 p.m. Representatives from other relevant organizations also received them from NEMA’s Kano Operations Office.

A NEMA official reiterated the organization’s commitment to Nigerian citizens’ safe and dignified return during a press conference at the airport.

The official, who requested anonymity, stated that “Today’s exercise is part of our ongoing efforts to support compatriots who find themselves stranded abroad.”

The returnees were transported to Badala Hotel for temporary accommodation after being documented at the airport, where profiling and other support activities were carried out the following day.

One of the returnees, Amina Lawal, expressed her relief at being safely returned home. Although the journey was challenging, we appreciate the warm welcome from the NEMA and the Nigerian government.

NEMA officials reiterated the organization’s commitment to the welfare and reintegration of returnees and described the reception exercise as “well-coordinated and successfully conducted.”

The official continued, “We will work with our partners to ensure that these returnees’ communities receive the necessary support,” the official continued.

Also read: NEMA Repatriates 104 Nigerians from Algeria

Migration Issues and Porous Borders

The Niger Republic’s northern borders are notoriously porous, facilitating frequent and largely unregulated cross-border travel. Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Niger, Kwara, Kebbi, and Sokoto states bordering the Benin Republic, as well as Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Borno states sharing borders with Niger, as well as Borno bordering Chad.

Lucky Irabor, a former chief of the defense staff (CDS), revealed in 2022 that of the 261 approved by the Federal Government, 137 were unprotected borders alone.

“Nigeria has approximately 364 approved international border points, with approximately 261 in the North-East and North-West regions. Only 124 of these are manned, with the rest 137 manned by security agencies, according to Irabor.

The current CDS, Christopher Musa, advocated for the fencing of the country’s borders during a media briefing at the Defense Headquarters in Abuja in June 2025.

Many Nigerians, however, see border fencing as a gimmick, especially for a nation that struggles with high debts, high incomes, and widespread corruption.

Sani Shinkafi, a former member of the Zamfara State Bandits Persecution Committee, described the state’s failures in killing 35 kidnap victims as a failure of the government and the security apparatus.

Shinkafi also referred to the killing as being cruel and deeply disheartening in a statement on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

“It’s unfortunate,” he said. Because the military camp was so close to their camp, he claimed, there was a failure of the government and a failure of the security apparatus in terms of not using some technological means to rescue the kidnapping victims.

“The distance between the military personnel’ camps and the camps of the armed bandits is not greater than three kilometers. He continued, “I got the information from a trustworthy source.”

Read more about Bandits’ killing of 38 hostages in Zamfara after collecting a 50m ransom

The victims were among 53 people taken from the Banga community in February, according to Shinkafi, who is also a security analyst.

Each of the abductees’ families had demanded $1 million.

The bandits at their hideout gave the remaining 35 victims four jerrycans of fuel and 18 Android phones, each costing more than N100,000, to the bandits, despite the community raising additional funds.

He disclosed that community members were stopped by army officers stationed nearby as they were delivering the ransom and items because they had not been given an order to assist.

He claimed that the tragic outcome may have been caused by the inaction’s resistance.

He referred to the bandits as “betrayers,” claiming that they had lied and were corrupt after breaking previous peace agreements and promises.

He claimed that only five victims had been released to the community, and that a baby had been delivered while in captivity, and that the mother had cardiac arrest after the child’s death.

He claimed that two more women gave birth while the bandits were in charge.

Shinkafi criticized the Federal Government’s and Nigeria’s security institutions’ disregard for their obligations and criticized their lack of empathy. Zamfara State Governments had done their part by working with the DSS and deploying military personnel who had previously been involved in the Boko Haram conflict.

He claimed victory was still possible if the Federal Government properly deployed its military forces, noting that some of the bandits’ lieutenants were killed by the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF).

He continued, “Armed banditry is not new in Zamfara,” adding that the crisis had persisted for more than ten years due to the country’s severely underfunded and ill-equipped security agencies, as well as poverty, corruption, and high unemployment, poverty, corruption, and weak judicial system.

He emphasized the need for both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies, including deradicalization, rehabilitation, and reintegration.

He also emphasized the value of receiving accurate instruction on how to handle weapons.

When questioned about the role of the state government, he claimed that because of the state’s constitutional restrictions, troops could not be deployed by the state.