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Migrant camp attack: It’s unfortunate nine Nigerians were killed –Dabiri

Ismaila Sanni
Ismaila Sanni
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NIDCOM boss, Abike Dabiri Erewa

The Chairman/CEO Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has commiserated with the families of nine Nigerians involved in early Wednesday’s airstrike on migrant detention centre in Libya, which killed 44  migrants.

In a statement, she said it was disheartening that nine Nigerians have been identified as victims in the unfortunate incident.

According to Abdurahman Balogun, her media aide, Dabiri said it was regrettable that migrants survived a  treacherous journey only to be killed in someone else’s war in Libya.

She said that it was painful that the affected Nigerians  who were due to be airlifted back to Nigeria, were cut down in their prime.

The NIDCOM boss reiterated her call for Nigerians, especially the youths to shun movement into hostile countries, and that if they must travel, they should go legally with a legitimate mission to those countries.

Dabiri-Erewa prayed for the repose of the souls of all that died in the airstrike and sent condolence message to the  families of the victims

She noted that over 13.000 migrants had been brought home so far, from Libya, and thanked the International  Organization for Migration IOM , NEMA and other international agencies involved in the evacuation of the migrants, while she called on the UN to hasten the protection of other detention centres from such attacks.

At least 44 people were reportedly killed including nine Nigerians at a detention center in Tajoura, east of Tripoli in Libya, through an airstrike.

It was learnt that some of those killed had been profiled to leave the country in the coming days.

In addition to those killed, IOM said that more than 180 others staying in the same detention center were registered to return to their home countries through the U.N. agency’s voluntary migrant return programme, which helped arrange their documents and transport.

IOM has moved around 40,000 migrants out of Libya through the same programme.

The airstrike on the Tajoura center where about 600 people were being held, came less than two months after another airstrike landed less than 100 meters from the center, injuring two.

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