The 30 Nigerians in a video appealing for help have been rescued by the Nigerian Mission in Lebanon, and relocated to a more conducive apartment.
They will be part of the 150 others trafficked and stranded persons in Lebanon to be evacuated back to Nigeria.
The Lebanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Houssam Diab, disclosed the evacuation plans when the management of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, led by the Secretary, Dr. Sule Yakubu Bassi, visited the embassy in Abuja.
Ambassador Diab stated that the 150 ladies will be returned home in batches.
The first batch of 110 will leave Beirut, Lebanon on August 12, 2020 to Lagos while the second batch will be returned to Abuja on August 16, 2020.
The diplomat commended the efforts of the Lebanese community and the Oyo State government which is sponsoring the return of 55 of the ladies.
In the same vein, the Secretary to NIDCOM, Dr. Sule Yakubi Bassi, on behalf of the Chairman/CEO NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa applauded the excellent ties existing between Nigeria and Lebanon.
He urged both countries to sustain the cordial relationship.
Bassi also commended the dedication and commitment of Nigerian Ambassador to Lebanon, Goni Madu Zanna Bura, mission staff, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Oyo and Ogun state governments, and other strategic partners.
As part of the Nigerian Embassy’s Consular responsibility, the ladies in the said video that went viral and many other distressed Nigerian domestic workers were located and relocated to a safer place.
The people upon evacuation will be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP.
Below is the breakdown of the number of stranded Nigerians per state:
- Oyo State—— 41
- Ogun — 21
- Lagos — 12
- Ondo — 18
- Osun — 26
- Imo — 3
- Kwara– 9
- Enugu — 1
- Ekiti — 6
- Kogi — 1
- Edo — 1
- Delta — 3
- Ebonyi — 1
- Benue — 1
- Abia — 1
- Akwa Ibom — 1
- Anambra — 1
