IOM Repatriates 9,822 Stranded Nigerians in 18Months

Rebecca Ejifoma

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has successfully brought repatriated about 9, 822 stranded Nigerians in 10 different countries in the past 18 months.

This disclosure was made by the Zonal Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), South-west Zone, Alhaji Yakubu Suleiman, after he received another batch of of 153 Assisted Voluntary Returnees (AVR).

These latest batch of returnees, who were brought back by IOM last week had 56 females and 97 males who arrived Nigeria through Libyan Airline with registration no 5A-DMG and flight no BRQ 189 at the Cargo Wing of Murtal Muhammad International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

The zonal coordinator said IOM has been working with NEMA and other federal agencies towards giving the returnees appropriate humanitarian assistance since the exercise started.

He revealed that the total figure of 9, 822 returnees brought back were collated from April, 2017 to September, 14, 2018.

He said IOM analysis of the exercise revealed that out of the total figure, 59 per cent of the returnees were males and 41 per cent were female.

Further analysis revealed that out of the above stated statistics, 57 per cent were adult males, adult females consisted of 37 per cent, while minor males and females were at three per cent each.

The NEMA boss also revealed that most of the returnees were from Libya with about 8,657 voluntary returnees, while others were brought back from Niger, Mali, Morocco, Liberia, Burkina Faso, France, Ireland, Austria and Poland.
He further stated that about 215 of the women were pregnant, 116 were spinsters and 11 men single parents, while 214 men and 141 women had various degree of medical challenges. Suleiman added that there were 59 males and 52 females unaccompanied minors, while about 24 males and 174 females need psychosocial first aid.