Photos: 162 stranded Nigerians in Libya arrive Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos

One hundred and sixty stranded Nigerians in Libya, on Thursday, June 16, were returned back from Tripoli via Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with the support of the Swiss government.

They were received on arrival by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) which coordinated other relevant government agencies in the screening and profiling of the returnees before providing temporary accommodation for them, feeding and helping to transport them home to reunite with their families.

The returnees made up of 132 males, 27 females and 3 children were flown to Nigeria in a chartered Boeing 737 aircraft operated by Ghadames Air under Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) arrangement after they indicated their intentions to come back home from Libya. On arrival, 3 sick persons among them were immediately taken to the hospital.

The NEMA team was led by the Director General who was represented by the Director Relief and Rehabilitation Alhaji Aliyu Baffale Sambo with the Deputy Director Search and Rescue Dr Onimode Bandele, Southwest zonal coordinator Alhaji Suleiman Yakubu. Present with officials of the IOM led by Sara Hamoi, IOM Consultant AVR.

The agencies that participated included the Nigerian Immigration Service, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Police, Port Health Services, Lagos State hospital, NAPTIP, other security agencies.