Again, 164 stranded Nigerians return from Libya

One week after 160 stranded Nigerians were evacuated from Libya, another batch of 164 arrived in the early hours of Friday.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) received them at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Ikeja on arrival via a Chartered Al Buraq Airline Boeing 737-800 aircraft with registration number 5A-DMG.

Zonal Spokesman of NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, who represented the Coordinator, Lagos Territorial Office of the Agency, Alhaji Idris Muhammed, received the returnees.

Farinloye said the returnees included 71 female adults, 17 female children and six female infants. There were 55 male adults 13 male children and two male infants.

Three of the returnees also arrived with medical cases as well as a pregnant woman who went into labour upon arrival in Nigeria.

It was learnt that two traffickers were identified by their victims and apprehended by officials of National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Person (NAPTIP) during the reception of the returnees.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) facilitated their return with special funding by the European Union under its Assisted Voluntary Returnees programme which would end in April 2020.