258 Nigerians return from Libya

At least 258 Nigerians returned to the country from Libya on Thursday.

The Airbus A330-200 operated by Libya Airlines, which conveyed them touched down at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at 9:43pm.

Four children and one infant were among the returnees.

Their return was facilitated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Nigerian embassy in Libya.

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.

Addressing journalists, Julie Okah-Donli, the director-general of NAPTIP, said the agency was particularly interested in those that were trafficked.

“After the profiling have been done, for those that have been trafficked, we will take them away to our shelters,” she said.

According to her, the agency is working with the international community to clamp down on the trafficking syndicate.

“They are doing their investigation and very soon we will be able to come out with effective results,” she said.

Also, Onimode Bandele, director, search and rescue, NEMA, said some of the returnees had medical issues.

He said some of them were suffering from depression and malnutrition, while one person sustained gun injury.