Barely 24 hours after a batch of 180 Nigerians were returned from the North African country, Libya, for illegal entry and failed attempt to travel to Europe through unrecognised channels, another set of the country’s citizens was on Tuesday night returned for same offence.
This time, 132 Nigerians were received at the international wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, by the officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
This also marked the 65th flights that would arrive Nigeria since the commencement of the European Union (EU) assisted special intervention in 2017.
The deportees arrived Nigeria at about 10.15p.m on Tuesday night from Libya.
Ketil Karlsen, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, witnessed the exercise. So far, 12,974 Nigerians had been returned to the country within two years.
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The latest returnees included 58 adults female, two female children and four female infants, while 59 male adults, five male children and six male infants made up the total of 64 females and 68 males altogether.
The returnees were brought back to Nigeria aboard Buraq air flight number 289/02 with registration number 5A-DMG, which took off from Benghazi Airport in Libya with the returnees assembled in four major cities of Alkrarim Dc, Misursta, Benghazi city centre and Ghanfoda Dc arrived Nigeria at 7.20 p.m.
The stranded Nigerians were assisted back to Nigeria through the humanitarian efforts of International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and EU special funding for reintegration process for the voluntary returnees after their futile attempts cross over to Europe through Libya.
Idris Muhammed, Coordinator, NEMA Lagos Territorial Office, who received the returnees on behalf of the Federal Government from the EU Ambassador in Nigeria, lauded EU and IOM for their efforts in bringing back the stranded Nigerians.
