Oluwafunbi Bello 
KANO, Nigeria – More than 1,100 Nigerian migrants have arrived in Kano State from the Niger Republic as authorities begin family reunification and reintegration procedures for the returnees.
The migrants travelled by road from Agadez and were received on Friday by officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service alongside other federal and state agencies.
Commandant of the Immigration Training School, Kano, Anthony Akuneme says arrangements have been completed to ensure safe and orderly processing of the returnees.
“Personnel of KNSC, MAKIA and ITSK are fully on ground with other relevant federal and state agencies to ensure hitch-free and safe processing,” Akuneme says.
Immigration authorities confirm that the migrants are undergoing registration and security screening before being moved to designated centres for counselling and reintegration support.
The exercise is being conducted in collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and the International Organization for Migration.
Agadez, a major transit route in northern Niger Republic, has long served as a migration corridor for Africans seeking passage to Libya and Europe.
Despite tighter migration controls introduced by Nigerien authorities in recent years, irregular migration along the route continues, leaving many migrants stranded across the Sahel region.
The International Organization for Migration says it has assisted thousands of stranded Nigerians since 2017 through voluntary return and reintegration programmes aimed at helping migrants rebuild their lives at home.
Authorities say the latest return operation highlights ongoing regional efforts to address irregular migration, human trafficking and migrant welfare across West Africa.
About the Author
Otamere Gladness 
Hussaini Ibrahim 
Oluwatobi Adu