Headline

266 Stranded Nigerians Repatriated From Niger Republic, Returnees Recount Ordeals

Published

3 years ago

December 17, 2022

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Friday received another batch of 266 stranded Nigerians from neighbouring Niger Republic.

The Director-General NEMA, Alhaji Mustapha Ahmed-Habib, made the disclosure while receiving the returnees
at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.

Ahmed-Habib, represented by NEMA Coordinator Kano Territorial Office, Dr Nuradeen Abdullahi, said the returnees arrived at the international wing of the airport.

“One hundred and thirty returnees arrived late Thursday night at about 10:50 p.m. while 136 arrived on Friday at about 3:50 a.m. with SKY MALI Airlines operated by Ethiopian airlines FML5001 with registration number VR-CQX”

He noted that the returnees were brought back to Kano under the care of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) from Niamey, capital of Niger Republic through a voluntary repatriation programme.

“The programme was meant for the distressed Nigerians who had left the country to seek greener pastures in various European countries and could not afford to return when their journey became frustrated.

“The returnees included 144 adult males, 56 adult females and 66 children.

“The returnees are from different parts of the country, some from Katsina, Kaduna, Bauchi, Sokoto and Kano States, among others,” he said.

The director-general explained that the returnees would undergo a four-day training on how to achieve self- sustainability and would be provided with seed capital to enable them to engage in productive activities to be self-reliant.

“We want you to serve as ambassadors who would be sensitising other Nigerians against irregular migration,“ he said.

He advised the public to avoid endangering their lives by travelling to seek greener pastures in other countries, nothing “no country is better than our own country, Nigeria“.

According to Ahmed-Habib, the agency from April to Dec.13, 2022, received 723 stranded Nigerians repatriated from Agadas, Republic; Khartoum, Sudan, and Chad and were trained in various skills acquisition.

He enjoined them to learn from their experiences and be law abiding citizens.

Recounting their ordeals, Hajiya Salamatu Muhammad from Kano State said she travelled to Niger with her six-year-old granddaughter to seek greener pastures.

“Initially, I intended to travel to Algeria but on our way the driver dropped us in a town called Asamaka in Niger Republic.

“My husband is old and his shop has been seized so I had no option than to travel to seek greener pasture.

“Before I left Nigeria I was into making fura (millet dough ball). We spent six months in Asamaka, we suffered in the process. My granddaughter took ill as a result and could not eat and had to be administered drip to survive,” she said.

Usman Kabir, another returnee from Zaria, Kaduna State, said he sold his plot of land to travel to Libya to seek greener pasture.

“I was a phone repairer before I left Zaria. I saw one of my friends sending money to his parents from Libya that was why I decided to seek greener pasture.

“My parents are poor and I am their first child so I decided to travel to enable me to cater for my parents and siblings, but unfortunately I was stranded in the Sahara desert.

“My dream of becoming rich has ended. I feel shy to go back to my family because I came back with nothing.

“We were many that were stranded in the Sahara and many people died from snake bites.”

Headline

Again, Russia Claims Another Village In Ukraine’s Region

Published

12 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Russian army Monday claimed to have captured another village in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, moving deeper into Ukrainian territory as peace efforts stall.

Russian forces are slowly but steadily gaining ground in costly battles for largely devastated areas in eastern and central Ukraine, normally with few inhabitants or intact buildings left.

Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had seized the settlement of Zaporizke in the region, which Russian troops recently advanced into for the first time in the three-and-a-half-year offensive.

Kyiv denies that Russian troops have gained a foothold in the Dnipropetrovsk region, an important industrial hub.

After another push by US President Donald Trump to broker a Ukraine-Russia summit, hopes for peace dimmed when Russia last week ruled out any immediate meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.

The central region of Dnipropetrovsk has previously been largely spared from fighting that has ravaged swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, until Russia said its forces broke through in July.

Dnipropetrovsk is not one of the five Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea — that Moscow has publicly claimed as Russian territory.

Ukraine said Russia had launched over 100 drones Monday, killing a 37-year old civilian driver and wounding two people in the northeastern Sumy region.

Moscow said Kyiv had launched about two dozen drones targeting western Russia

Headline

US Comedian Reggie Carroll Shot Dead In Mississippi

Published

12 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

A United States comedian, Reginald “Reggie” Carroll, has been shot dead in Southaven, Mississippi.

The 52-year-old Carroll, widely known as the Knockout King of Comedy, was reportedly killed on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.

The Southaven Police Department confirmed the incident in a Facebook statement on Saturday.

“Southaven officers located one male victim suffering from gunshot wounds.

“The officers and medical personnel provided life saving techniques but the individual succumbed to his injuries,” the statement partly read.

The victim was later identified as Carroll, a Baltimore native.

Police said one suspect was arrested and charged with his murder.

“One male is in custody and has been charged with the murder of Reginald Carroll.

“Our thoughts are with the family of Mr. Carroll.

“Thank you to the community for their patience and understanding,” the department added.

The police further assured that there was no ongoing threat to residents, describing the case as “an isolated shooting.”

Carroll, who built his career in stand-up comedy, gained national recognition touring with Katt Williams and headlining his own showcase, Knockout Kings of Comedy.

He also featured in the 2000 edition of Showtime at the Apollo, appeared on the UPN sitcom The Parkers alongside Mo’Nique and Countess Vaughn, and starred in the 2022 television film Rent & Go.

In 2023, he produced the stand-up special Knockout Kings of Comedy.

The Southaven Police Department disclosed that an investigation into his death is ongoing.

Headline

US Defends New Social Media Vetting For Nigerian Visa Applicants

Published

12 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria on Monday reaffirmed that the safety and security of the United States remain the cornerstone of its visa application and decision-making process.

The US said this following its directive last week that mandates Nigerians to disclose all social media usernames and handles used over the past five years as part of the visa application process.

US Mission said Nigerian visa applicants must provide a comprehensive list of their social media profiles on the DS-160 visa application form, and warned that omitting the information could lead to visa denials.

Reacting to the development, the Federal Government said US citizens intending to visit Nigeria will be subjected to the same measures.

“The best we can do is to carry out reciprocal action. Some people from the US might want to apply for a visa, and we will adopt the same measures,” spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said last Monday.

However, in a statement released Monday on X, the US Mission said prospective visa applicants undergo careful vetting to maintain a safe and welcoming environment in the US.

It said, “The safety and security of the United States is at the heart of every #USVisa application and decision process.

“That’s why prospective applicants undergo careful screening to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

The Mission added, “These measures help protect American citizens and communities while supporting secure and responsible travel.”