FG Facilitates Returns Of 144 Nigerian Migrants From Libya

Joe Ajayi

 The Federal Government of Nigeria, through a coordinated, multi-agency effort, has successfully received 144 Nigerian migrants who were stranded in Libya. 

This humanitarian return was facilitated by the *Nigerian Mission in Tripoli in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as part of an ongoing series of voluntary return flights aimed at ensuring the safe repatriation and reintegration of Nigerian citizens.  

In a statement issued on Teusday by the  Southwest Zonal Coordinator National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) Alexander Oturu revealed that, returnees arrived at the Cargo Terminal of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, where they were received by officials from the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) and other government agencies.  

Speaking on behalf of the Honourable Federal Commissioner of the NCFRMI, Honourable Aliyu Tijjani Ahmed, the *Southwest Zonal Coordinator, Mr. Alexander Oturu, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to the welfare of Nigerian citizens. He emphasized that, in line with Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the returnees would be provided with access to government-led empowerment initiatives and reintegration support through the IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) Programme.  

The 144 returnees comprised 8 males, 100 females, 26 children, and 10 infants, all of whom were conveyed on an IOM-chartered flight from Libya.  

Following their arrival, the returnees were transported to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) camp, where the NCFRMI, IOM, and LASEMA operate under a tripartite agreement to provide temporary shelter. In addition, the returnees will receive onward transportation allowances to facilitate their safe return to their respective communities.  

In attendance was the Director General of the Edo State Migration Agency, Honourable Lucky Agazuma, who led a delegation to facilitate the free transportation* of Edo State indigenes to Benin City, the Edo State capital.  

The reception exercise involved the profiling of returnees by the NCFRMI and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS). Further assistance was provided by officials from the Port Health Services, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Federal Ministry of Labour (Migrant Resource Centre), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Child Protection Network, and Web of Hearts Foundation, ensuring a comprehensive and coordinated approach to the reception and reintegration process.  

This return flight is part of an ongoing programme by the Federal Government* in collaboration with IOM to facilitate the safe return and reintegration of Nigerians stranded abroad, reflecting the government’s unwavering commitment to the protection and welfare of its citizens globally.