103 Nigerians Stranded In Libya Return To Lagos With 13 Infants

Less than two weeks after 141 Nigerians were repatriated from Libya, another 116 citizens of the country were returned from the war-torn North African country early on Wednesday.

The latest batch of returnees was received by officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

The stranded Nigerians were assisted back to the country by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in a chartered flight Al Buraq Airlines with flight number UZ 489.

The aircraft that brought the returnees landed at 12:40am and disembarked the repatriated at the cargo area of the Lagos Airport.

Commenting on the returnees, Mr. Segun Afolayan, the Acting Coordinator, NEMA South West Zone, said that the returnees comprised 53 females and 63 males.

Among them were 46 adult females, two female children and five female infants with 56 male adults, six male children and eight male infants.

Afolayan advised the returnees to discourage other prospective illegal migrants from engaging in the act, especially with the danger inherent in such adventure.

Afolayan stated that migration is a fundamental right of every human being, but when a man embarks on irregular journey, violating the laws of other nations by not following the regular means of migration, the country of destination may apply the nation’s laws to handle such.

To end such irregular migration, the Acting Zonal Coordinator urged other Nigerians who wish to migrate to foreign countries to visit the Migrant Resource Centre opened by IOM in conjunction with the Federal Government.

“The centres are opened to all Nigerians who wish to travel outside the country. They can access detailed information on their intended country of destination,” he said.

“Such information as the types of employment and educational opportunities, counselling on the right and safe routes to travel, the security level of the expected country as well as skill acquisition to whoever approach any of the centres in the country.

“These centres are created to stem the gaps of inadequate information that many Returnees have been complaining about.”