10,000 Nigerians Evacuated from Libya in 18 Months

By Chinedu Eze

The National Emergency Management Agency (NAMA) said on Friday that a total of 10, 000 Nigerians returned from Libya between April 2017 and October 2018.

NEMA made this known during the 50^th flight of voluntary returnees from Libya who arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos in the early hours of yesterday.

A total of 161 Nigerians arrived with the 50^th flight with the assistance of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

 Among the arrivals were 147 adults, four children, 10 infants and one unaccompanied seven-year old minor.

Earlier on Tuesday, NEMA received a batch of 149 returnees, making a total of 310 returnees brought back in the week.

It was learnt that on Tuesday, a pregnant woman went into labour immediately she arrived at the MMIA cargo wing and was delivered of a baby boy by the combined team of medical personnel on ground.

The Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Alh Suleman Yakubu, commended the IOM and other development partners for their humanitarian efforts on the returnees.

Represented by Mr. Seguin Afolayan, the Coordinator noted that since the pact with IOM in 2011, the synergy and partnership of UN agency had been smooth.

The Zonal Coordinator appealed to the returnees not to feel ashamed to disclose their health status on arrival in Nigeria.

This, he noted, would help government to take care of them adequately, adding that information on health status of some of the returnees were only revealed by others who felt it was a national responsibility for them to help the general public.

He also urged the families of the returnees to ensure that all their relations go for full medical examinations as soon as they arrive their homes.