The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in collaboration with other key agencies, on Monday welcomed a group of 203 Nigerians who had been stranded in Libya.
The returnees arrived safely at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, landing around 7:00 p.m. aboard a chartered Al Buraq Boeing flight bearing the registration number 5A-BAC.
According to a statement posted on Tuesday on NEMA’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, the group included men, women, and children who had been living in difficult conditions in Libya. Many of them had travelled to the North African country with hopes of better opportunities but ended up facing hardship and exploitation.
The group consisted of 50 adult males, 96 adult females, 29 children, and 28 infants. Their return was made possible through the help of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), working alongside NEMA and several Nigerian government agencies.
These include the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Department of State Services, the Port Health Services, and the Nigeria Police Force.
The return process was carefully handled, with officials on the ground ensuring that the individuals received immediate support.
“There were two medical cases, and the patients were transferred to New Ikeja Hospitals for treatment,” the statement added.
After the arrival, all returnees went through profiling and biometric registration as part of a standard procedure. Following that, they were moved to the Igando Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Resettlement Centre. There, they will take part in a reintegration program aimed at helping them rebuild their lives.
NEMA notes that the returnees were assisted under a voluntary repatriation program, a system designed to help stranded migrants return home safely and restart their lives with dignity.
