Another Batch of 168 Nigerians Return from Libya

Another Batch of 168 Nigerians Return from Libya

*15,731 arrived in two years from 16 countries

By Chinedu Eze

National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Friday received another batch of 168 Nigerians from Libya.

The returnees described as distressed and stranded Nigerians were among the Voluntary Returnees who were assisted back to Nigeria by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with the support of European Union (EU) as a special intervention were received at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Cargo Wing on arrival by Ibrahim Farinloye, the Acting Coordinator of NEMA Lagos Territorial Office on behalf of Director General of NEMA, Engr Mustapha Maihajja.

The Returnees who arrived the country aboard Al Buraq airline landed atbabout 5:42 am on Friday after 12 hours delay.
After profiling, 38 adult females, five female children, 109 adult males, six male children and 10 infants were among the new returnees.

Those brought back so far from Libya according to NEMA in the last few years comprised 8,096 males and 5,788 females.
The NEMA official said the number of returnees brought to Nigeria from 16 countries include 15,731 since April, 2017 till date.
Farinloye while qouting the summary of the special EU-IOM and Federal Government intervention since 2017 till October, 2019 said Libya had the highest number of returnees .

He said: “Libya has the highest number of returnees with males comprising 8,096 and female 5, 788; Niger Republic 1,043 males and 556 females; Morocco males 42, females 37; Liberia males eight and females four, Burkina Faso males six and females 18; France males three and females one while Ireland had only one female. But countries like Poland , Austria, Gambia, Mauritania, Ethiopia had one male each assisted back while Chad had one male and two females and Cote D’ivoire had only two females brought back within the period.

” Estimately, adults males formed 54 per cent and 37 per cent are for females while male and female minors are four per cent each.
In the same vein, the distressed migrants brought back per state of origin show that Edo State topped the list with 40.6 per cent ; Delta 13.3 per cent, Ogun 6.2 per cent Imo 4.7 per cent Lagos 4.3 per cent Oyo 4.1 per cent Yobe 3.6 per cent, Kano 3.1 per cent and Osun with 2.9 per cent while other states completed the rest.”
According to NEMA: ” Those that suffered various degrees of torture in males were 31 and females were 21; Unaccompanied minors that were assisted back in males were 66 and females were 67; those who were kidnapped out of Nigeria but assisted back in males were 79 and females were 31; single parents males 41 and females are 616; total number of pregnant women brought back so far are 439 while those with various medical issues males 592 and females 804 and migrants assisted back with psychosocial needs are males 523 and females 470 as the summary of the special intervention exercise.”

Related Articles