NEMA Receives 174 Stranded Nigerians from Libya

Rebecca Ejifoma

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) yesterday  received a batch of 174 stranded Nigerians from Libya.

The returnees included 69 female adults, five female children, and 10 female infants were brought back. Others are 75 male adults, 12 male children and three male infants.

According to reports, 23 returnees had minor medical cases.

They were brought back aboard Al Buraq Air Boeing 737-800 with registration number 5A-DMG. It landed at the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammad International Airport at about 3.35pm.

The Director General of NEMA, Alhaji Mustapha Ahmed received the new batch on arrival.

Ahmed was represented by the Lagos Territorial Office Coordinator, Ibrahim Farinloye.

Meanwhile, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with the European Union has been repatriating thousands of stranded Nigerians from various countries since 2017 through a special Assisted Voluntary Repatriation (AVR) programme.

Today’s flight makes it the 12th recorded at the Lagos end of the exercise this year.

Altogether, about 2,044 Nigerian returnees from Libya have been assisted back to the country through Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Ikeja.

Out of these, 848 male adults, 719 female adults, 180 children and 123 infants made up the total number of 2,044 that have been brought so far this year.

Agencies present at the reception centre included Nigeria Immigration Service, FAAN, Refugee Commission, NAPTIP, Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Police Force to receive the returnees to the country.