Niger Republic Deports 6,000 Nigerians

BEVERLY HILLS, May 06, (THEWILL) – No fewer than 6,000 Nigerians have been deported from Niger Republic as they were sent packing from that country that is currently under meningitis epidemic.

THEWILL gathered that most of those deported are fishermen who crossed into the Nigerien borders to fish.

Confirming the development on Tuesday, the Director of Search and Rescue of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Air Commodore Charles Otegbade, said in Geidam, Yobe State that the agency had received over 3,000 Nigerians from the Nigerien authorities.

“We just received communication from Nigerien Government that another set of 3,000 persons are being sent to us. We will be going to the border post to take custody of the people,” he said.

Otegbade said the number may eventually exceed 6,000, because , according to him, “before we came here, the information we received from Niger is that about 2,000 Nigerians would be delivered to us but now see what we have on ground.”

Otegbade said “we are going to remain in Geidam as long as it takes to evacuate the people back to their respective states,” adding “ Geidam is acting as a transit town and we have two camps, one at the stadium and the other at a primary school in town.”

Disclosing that the Nigerians are from Taraba, Adamawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Benue, Zamfara, Borno, Yobe, Bauchi and Kano States, he said arrangements had been concluded to move them to their respective states.