Categories: City Updates

1,268 Nigerians Return from Libya

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said 1,268 Nigerians had voluntarily returned from Libya from December 15, 2016 to May 16, 2017.

Alhaji Mustapha Maihaja, the Director General, NEMA, made the disclosure while receiving a fresh batch of 258 Nigerians who arrived on Tuesday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the returnees arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, aboard a chartered Libya Airlines Airbus A330-200 with registration number 5A-LAU at about 8:30pm.

They were received at the Hajj Camp area of the airport by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) , the National Agency for the Protection of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Police.

Also on ground to receive them were officials of NEMA, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

Maihaja, who was represented by Dr Onimode Bandele, the Deputy Director, Search and Rescue, said the fresh returnees came along with 20 children and infants.

He said the returnees were brought back by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Nigerian Embassy in Libya.

According to him, another batch of Nigerians is expected back on May 25, and the exercise will continue as long as those stranded in Libya are willing to return home.

“Since December 2016, we have been able to bring back 1,268 Nigerians and the exercise will continue in collaboration with the IOM

“The Federal Government is collaborating with the various state governments to rehabilitate and reintegrate the returnees, ” he said.

Also speaking, Ms Julia Burpee, Public Information Officer, IOM, said the organisation had facilitated the return of over 7,000 Nigerians from various countries in the past 16 years.

She said the organisation would assist the returnees to get back on their feet and would provide assistance to others willing to leave the North African country.

0
Dipo

Dipo Kehinde is an accomplished Nigerian journalist, artist, and designer with over 34 years experience. More info on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dipo-kehinde-8aa98926

Recent Posts

Shell LiveWIRE Programme Trains 9,000 Niger Delta Youths in Entrepreneurship

Since its inception in 2003, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) LiveWIRE…

7 hours ago

Are The Grammys Relevant Outside the United States?

Building Credibility For nearly eight decades, the Grammy Awards have stood as the pinnacle of…

2 days ago

Disputed 5.3bn Shares: Court Adjourns Barbican/FBN Holdings Suit as Ecobank’s Recusal Motion Remains Pending

Justice Ayokunle Faji has adjourned further proceedings in the suit filed by Barbican Capital Limited…

4 days ago

Los Angeles Protects Undocumented Immigrants from Trump’s Deportation Plans with Sanctuary Ordinance

Segun Atanda/ The Los Angeles City Council has approved a sweeping "sanctuary city" ordinance designed…

4 days ago

Trump Could Face Prison After Second Term, Prosecutors Say

Segun Atanda/ New York prosecutors have opposed dismissing President-elect Donald Trump’s conviction for falsifying business…

4 days ago

MC Oluomo Flouts Court Order, Assumes Office as NURTW President

Femi Ashekun/ In a bold and controversial move, Musiliu ‘MC Oluomo’ Akinsanya, has defied a…

4 days ago