Chinedu Eze
Relief came to 162 Nigerians who were brought into the country on Thursday from Libya after yearning to return to their fatherland from the war-torn North African country.
So these Nigerians were elated when Airbus A320 aircraft with registration number 5A-WAT arrived the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) them as voluntary returnees, who were stranded in Libya since the war started in the country about five years ago.
The returnees comprises of 132 males, 27 females and three children.
It was learnt that three of the voluntary returnees have health challenges, while others decided to flee from the country where political instability made life precarious and uncertain.
It was learnt that three of the voluntary returnees have health challenges, while others decided to flee from the country where political instability made life precarious and uncertain.
Informed source said the returnees were brought back by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with Nigeria Embassy in Libya.
On arrival they were asked to queue and their details were taken by the Nigeria Immigration Service, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA),the Police, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria(FAAN) and National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters (NATIP).
Later, the returnees were taken to Hajj Camp for rehabilitation and after going through immigration processes at the airport, they were driven to the hajj and cargo terminal of the airport where they would be given N10,000 stipends to re-unite with their families.
On arrival they were asked to queue and their details were taken by the Nigeria Immigration Service, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA),the Police, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria(FAAN) and National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters (NATIP).
Later, the returnees were taken to Hajj Camp for rehabilitation and after going through immigration processes at the airport, they were driven to the hajj and cargo terminal of the airport where they would be given N10,000 stipends to re-unite with their families.
Their feeding and stipends were sponsored by the Swiss government.
The Voluntary Returnee and Integration Consultant with IOM in Lagos, Sara Hamo in an interview with journalists, said the returnees were camped at Tripoli for some time before they were returned to the country.
Hamo declared that none of the returnees was compelled to return to Nigeria, but indicated their willingness to return to Nigeria through the Nigerian embassy in Libya.
Also, the IOM official from Libya, Mr. Juma Hassan informed that this was the second time Nigerians from Libya would be returned to the country.
He informed that in the next two months, another batch of Nigerians of either 160 or 180 from the North African country would be return to the country.
He said, “This is the second time in 2016 that we were returning Nigerians back to base. There are more Nigerians still coming may be in the next two months. We already have a request from the Nigeria embassy that some of their nationals wanted to return to their country.
“Those coming would be about 160 to 180. One of the three with health challenge had a car accident while the other was involved with fire outbreak at the migrant’s camp. Six of them were involved in the inferno incident and are still in the hospital, but one of them insisted he would return to Nigeria for further treatment,” headded.
Also speaking at the event, an official of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Mr. Aliyu Sambo corroborated Hamo and Hassan when he said the returnees voluntarily returned to Nigeria after they could not get a head way in Libya.
He said the agency in collaboration with another government agency would counsel and re-orientate the returnees before re-uniting with their family members.
The returnees were received by various agencies such as the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) Nigerian Police, National Agency for Protection and Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and other relevant stakeholders.
Hamo declared that none of the returnees was compelled to return to Nigeria, but indicated their willingness to return to Nigeria through the Nigerian embassy in Libya.
Also, the IOM official from Libya, Mr. Juma Hassan informed that this was the second time Nigerians from Libya would be returned to the country.
He informed that in the next two months, another batch of Nigerians of either 160 or 180 from the North African country would be return to the country.
He said, “This is the second time in 2016 that we were returning Nigerians back to base. There are more Nigerians still coming may be in the next two months. We already have a request from the Nigeria embassy that some of their nationals wanted to return to their country.
“Those coming would be about 160 to 180. One of the three with health challenge had a car accident while the other was involved with fire outbreak at the migrant’s camp. Six of them were involved in the inferno incident and are still in the hospital, but one of them insisted he would return to Nigeria for further treatment,” headded.
Also speaking at the event, an official of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Mr. Aliyu Sambo corroborated Hamo and Hassan when he said the returnees voluntarily returned to Nigeria after they could not get a head way in Libya.
He said the agency in collaboration with another government agency would counsel and re-orientate the returnees before re-uniting with their family members.
The returnees were received by various agencies such as the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) Nigerian Police, National Agency for Protection and Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and other relevant stakeholders.
