250 Nigerians to voluntarily return from Libya, says NEMA

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said on Wednesday that another batch of 250 Nigerians would voluntarily return to the country from Libya on Thursday.

Ibrahim Farinloye NEMA’s spokesperson for south-west zone, told NAN that the returnees were expected to arrive at the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO)/Hajj camp section of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, at about 3pm.

More than 253 Nigerians had on April 25 voluntarily returned from Libya aboard a chartered Libya Airlines — Airbus A330-200 — with registration no. 5A-LAT.

The returnees comprise 102 males, 140 females and 11 children.

They were brought back by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Nigerian embassy in Libya.

The returnees were received at the Hajj camp 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 and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

NAN reports that hundreds of Nigerians have been forced out of Libya in recent times against the backdrop of hostile treatment meted out to blacks by Libyan citizens and the authorities.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, senior special adviser to the president on foreign affairs and diaspora, had said that the federal government valued their lives, hence the partnership with IOM and NEMA to ensure their safe return.