Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja has received 542 Nigerian returnees from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Manzo Ezekiel, NEMA’s head of press, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Sunday.
Ezekiel stated that the returnees, who included 79 men, 460 women, and three children, arrived in Nigeria on Sunday morning.
He stated that the returnees were examined by medical personnel and profiled by relevant authorities, including the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), before being given transportation fares to their various destinations.
“A total of 542 stranded Nigerians in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) evacuated back home by the federal government arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on board Maxair charted flight on Sunday morning at 4:29 am,” the statement reads.
“The evacuees consisted of 79 males, 460 females and three infants.
“They were received by a federal government team led by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and airport officials, security agencies including National Commission for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), NAPTIP, Nigerian Diaspora Commission, NDLEA, Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigerian Customs Service, Port Health Services, NCDC and others.
“On arrival, the returnees were screened by the Health officials, profiled by various relevant agencies and cleared by Nigerian Immigration Service before being given a token of transport fare by NEMA before leaving the airport.”
While officially welcoming the returnees, NEMA Director-General Mustapha Ahmed, represented by Sani Jiba, Director of Finance and Accounts, urged them to “learn from their experiences and be law-abiding citizens to promote economic growth and a positive image of Nigeria.”
Jiba stated that the federal government had approved the repatriation and provision of the token to support the returnees’ local movement back home.
In her remarks, Atinuke Mohammed, Nigeria’s consul-general in Dubai, praised the federal government for ensuring the safe evacuation of the returnees and accompanying them on the local flight back to their homes.
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