BEVERLY HILLS, October 11, (THEWILL) – 154 Nigerians have arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos at about 4.00 pm having been deported from Libya.
It was learnt that the deportees, comprising 96 women and 58 men, arrived Lagos on board a Libyan Airline aircraft, an Airbus A330-200 with registration number 5A-LAT.
There were nine pregnant women, three minors and three others with medical challenges while a medical doctor with the International Office for Migration (IOM), Abusrewi Zakariya, was also on board to provide first aid to the sick ones.
On hand to receive them were officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Police, the Air Force and the IOM
THEWILL gathered from immigration sources that the return of the deportees was facilitated by the assistance of the IOM which has been instrumental for the voluntary return of many Nigerians trapped in the crisis that has engulfed Libya for some years now.
THEWILL also gathered that apart from those trapped in the Libyan crisis, some of the deportees also include those trying to make their way to Europe.
Head of IOM in Lagos, Nahashon Maina Thuo, disclosed that repatriation was the fourth this year that the organisation would assist Nigerians who volunteered to return home after they were stranded in Libya.
Story by David Oputah
