Libya deports another batch of 174 Nigerians

Another batch of 174 Nigerians stranded in Libya, a North African country, were on Thursday night deported.

The deportees were received at the cargo wing of the Lagos international airport by officials of National Emergency Management Agency.

The coordinator of NEMA’s Lagos Territorial Office, Mallam Idris Muhammed, said with this batch, the total number of stranded Nigerians deported from Libya is now 12,574 .

In addition, Muhammed said over 4,900 of the deportees have been given empowerment training by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) through special funding facilitated by the European Union.

He said most of them have set up various businesses in their occupations.

He explained that Thursday’s flight was the 64th flight since the Programme of Assisted Voluntary Returnees initiated by European Union, but being implemented by the IOM, started in April, 2017.

The deportees were brought back aboard Al Buraq Airline in Boeing 737-800 aircraft with flight number UZ 389-390 and registration number 5A-DMG from Sebha City and arrived Cargo Wing of MMIA, Ikeja, Nigeria about 9:45 p.m.

The deportees comprise 62 adult females, 11 female children and 11 female infants , bringing the  total  number of females to 84  while the males comprise 74 male adults, 12 male children and 15 male infants making it a  total of 90 males .

Whilst addressing the deportees on arrival, the coordinator assured them of Federal Government’s readiness to continue supporting and collaborating with other development partners in providing enabling environment for the realization of their potential.