About 241 Nigerians on Tuesday, August 23, voluntarily returned from Libya. They arrived at the cargo terminal of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, and were received by the National Emergency Management Agency on behalf of the Federal Government.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) facilitated their return in collaboration with the Nigerian Embassy in Libya.
A Libyan airline with Reg 5A-LAR that brought the returnees touched down at about 4pm to the waiting arms of the NEMA officials, IOM and other relevant stakeholders.
On arrival, they were screened by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) before being handed over to NEMA that provided them with food and facilitated their movements to their respective locations. The Head of Lagos office of the IOM DR Dr Nahashon Thuo said the returnees opted to come back voluntarily and that they were not deportees.
Director Relief and Rehabilitation of NEMA Alhaji Aliyu Baffale Sambo who represented the Director General Alhaji Muhammad Sani Sidi in receiving the returnees gave the breakdown that they were 67 females (including 6 that are under 18 years) and 174 males (including 3 under 18 years). He said 3 of them are children less than five years. He further explained that there were about 6 medical cases. After the initial 3 persons taken to the hospital on the arrival, 2 more cases were discovered and also taken later to the health facilities.
Among the stakeholders that joined NEMA in receiving the returnees were officials of the Nigerian Airforce, Nigerian Police, Federal Ministry of Health (Port health services), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other related Matters (NAPTIP), NDLEA, DSS and many others