298 Nigerians repatriated from Libyan prisons

A total of 298 stranded Nigerians in Libya have been repatriated back to the country in separate chartered flights early this week.

The returnees were sent back to the country directly from Libyan prisons, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The first flight came with 161 returnees on the 21st August, 2023 while the second flight with 137 Returnees arrived in the early hours of Monday.

The Returnees mostly women were said to have spent varying periods in different detention camps in the troubled North African country.

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The profile of the returnees indicated that there were 119 female adults mostly pregnant, three female children and two female infants while the male returnees comprise 170 male adults, three male children and one male infant.

Their return was facilitated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations (UN) under their Migrants’ Protection and Assistance Programme. 

The Returnees who arrived yesterday were brought back aboard an Al Buraq Air Boeing 737-800 with registration number 5A-DMG which touched down the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja at about 5:38 p.m.

Our correspondent learnt that the returnees who were arrested trying to cross over to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea have been in Libyan detention camp for months before luck ran to them and they were repatriated into the country.

“They all came back into the country with sad tales of bitter experiences in Libyan Prisons,” said NEMA Lagos State Territorial Coordinator, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye.

Two of the returnees who spoke on arrival at the airport said they were lied to about going to Cairo, Egypt to work only to be taken to Libya by road.