They were received at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Cargo Wing by the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA.

They returnees were assisted back to Nigeria by the International Organisation for Migration, IOM, with the support of European Union, EU, in a special intervention.

They were received by Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, the Acting Coordinator of NEMA, Lagos Territorial Office, on behalf of the Director General of NEMA, Engr. Mustapha Maihajja.

The returnees who arrived the country aboard Al Buraq Airline landed at about 5:42 a.m.

The returnees are made up of 38 adult females, five female children, 109 adult males, six male children and 10 infants.

The stranded Nigerians returned from Libya so far are now 8,096 males and 5,788 females.

The total number of returnees brought to Nigeria from 16 countries is now to 15,731 since April, 2017.

The post Libya: Fresh batch of 168 stranded Nigerians return home appeared first on Frontpageng.

The Head, NEMA Lagos Territorial Office, Alhaji Idris Abubakar Muhammed, received the returnees on behalf of Federal Government along with other national agencies.

The breakdown of the set of returnees indicates that 56 adult females, three female children and five female infants in addition with 84 male adults, five male children and five male infants were brought back by the IOM.

The returnees were brought back in a chartered flight, Al Buraq Air, which landed at Cargo Wing of MMIA at about 12:55 a.m. on Thursday had eight pregnant women and seven minor medical cases.

Other agencies that joined NEMA in receiving the returnees are NAPTIP, Refugee Commission and the Immigration Service.

The post Another set of 158 batch stranded Nigerians return home from Libya appeared first on Frontpageng.

The Director General of NEMA, Engr. Mustapha Maihajja who was represented by Mr. Slaku Lugard received the returnees on arrival at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja at about 3:45 a. m. Wednesday morning.

The returnees were brought back from Libya via Al Buraq Air with flight number UZ 189 with registration number 5A-DMG with Boeing 737-8GK

The breakdown of the returnees on registration showed that adult females are 59, female children 4, infants female 7 and adults male 78, male children 3 and infants male 2.

The returnees were brought back home by IOM with assistance of the European Union on reintegration.

Other agencies involved are Immigration Services, NAPTIP, Refugee Commission and Edo State Task Force on Anti-Trafficking.

The post 153 stranded Nigerians brought back home from Libya appeared first on Frontpageng.

This is as the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, announced that it received another batch of 137 Nigerians from Libya.

The Coordinator, NEMA Lagos Territorial Office, Alh Idris Muhammed, who received the returnees on behalf of the Federal Government disclosed that 94 male adults, 3 male children and 3 male infants were among the new returnees.

He added that 34 female adults, one female child and 2 female infants were among those brought home.

The returnees were brought back to Nigeria via a charter flight with Al Buraq airline with registration number MVTBRQ189/20.5A- WAC.MJIAD1505/15   that landed at the Cargo Wing of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. at 8:20 p.m. Thursday night.

On arrival, the coordinator enjoined the returnees to make better use of the opportunities they had upon their return to the country to forge ahead and tap into various government enabling facilities that aimed at empowering every Nigerian to be successful in life.

Out of the total 14,036 returnees repatriated so far, those brought back from Libya are 12,457 while others are from Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ireland, France, Gambia, Austria, Poland, Morocco and Liberia.

Analysis on the total number of people brought back  indicates that 465 males and 408 females have psychosocial related needs.

Also, 454 males and 618 females are having various degrees of medical needs.

The analysis further indicates that there were 61 males and 61 females unaccompanied minors who had been reunited with their relations.

There are 37 pregnant women brought back so far in the course of the exercise.

The coordinator, while receiving the returnees expressed Federal Government gratitude for humanitarian gestures of the EU/IOM intervention in aid of the stranded Nigerians.

The post Stranded Nigerians returned home now 14,036 -NEMA appeared first on Frontpageng.

They were received by the Co-ordinator, Lagos Territorial Office of NEMA, Alhaji Idris Abubakar Muhammad, at the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja at about 11:50 p.m.

The returnees who were brought back by International Organisation for Migration, IOM, aboard a chartered flight of Al Buraq Air with flight number UZ 189/15 and registration number DMG MJI consisted of 59 adult females, four female children and five female infants with 63 adult males, 2 male children and 3 infant males.

The European Union is supporting IOM in the reintegration exercise with funds on arrival in Nigeria.

Other agencies supporting NEMA in the exercise are the National Refugee Commission, NAPTIP, the Immigration Service, the Nigeria Police and FAAN.

A returnee, Mr Kehinde Fatukasi, 42, from Ekiti State who left Nigeria in 2016 narrated his bitter experience while in Libya with his family – a wife and his six years old son, Olusanya Fatukasi .

He explained that his wife escaped back to Nigeria while he and his son were sold out as slaves.

He said he was oblivion of what was awaiting him where he was sold to until someone drew his attention to the dangers they were in, telling that they were being kept as very dangerous and would be resold to people who would remove parts of their bodies for sale.

He said it was the information that he got that made him and his son to find their ways out of the camp.

“I was there with my wife who had returned back to Nigeria; I believe she would have thought that we are dead.

“The Arabs treated us like slaves, you work without being paid and so many of us were killed.  We were made to watch the killings.  We have seen what is more than hell.

“The Libyans don’t care if you are black or not, the treatment given to us (blacks) is same they give to their Arab neighbours from Tunisia or Algeria.

“Once, they need someone to work, those chosen must follow them.  Refusal would lead to instant death.

“Those of us who decided to stay in Libya instead of crossing the Mediterranean sea did not suffer like those who intended crossing the Mediterranean sea.  The Libyan law bans crossing the sea and those caught in the high sea trying to cross to Europe have hellish experiences with worst manhandling in the hands of both Libyan and Europeans officials,” he narrated.

On what he intended to do upon returning to Nigeria, Mr Fatukasi said “I will embark on irrigation farming, Libyans are great farmers despite the fact that their country is in the desert.  I came back to Nigeria with irrigation tools like water sprinkler which will aid me to start afresh.

“I will work very hard to see that my son gets a very good education and give my wife a good life to enjoy our marriage.”

He stated further:  “If I had had adequate information about the lies of better life outside, I would not have tried to leave Nigeria. I wanted to travel to Germany, a friend assured me of better life but immediately we got to Niger Republic I began to regret my decision.  I didn’t know that what I experienced in the desert was just a child’s play.

“Nigerians must be patient and struggle to make better use of resources available here, I pray the youths won’t rely on lies and deceit of better lives outside Nigeria.

“I really regret my sojourn and the risk I made my family to pass through.

“However, I thank God for His grace and mercy in aiding our return back to Nigeria though with bitter experiences that will spur us towards a better life.”

The post Another batch of stranded Nigerians returns from Libya with tales of woe appeared first on Frontpageng.

They were received by the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA.

The returnees included 58 adult females – two female children and four female infants.

Also included are 59 male adults, five male children and six male infants.

They made up a total of 64 females and 68 males.

The returnees arrived the Cargo Wing of MMIA ikeja aboard Buraq Air flight number 289/02 with registration number 5A-DMG which took off from Benghazi Airport in Libya with the returnees assembled in four major cities of Alkrarim Dc, Misursta, Benghazi city centre and Ghanfoda Dc.

They arrived Nigeria at 7.20 p.m.

The stranded Nigerians were assisted back to Nigeria through the humanitarian efforts of IOM and special funding from EU for reintegration process for the voluntary returnees after their futile attempts to cross over to Europe through Libya.

The Coordinator, NEMA, Lagos Territorial Office, Alhaji Idris Muhammed, who received the returnees on behalf of the Federal Government, from the EU Ambassador in Nigeria, thanked the EU and IOM and assured them of government’s readiness to partner and cooperate with all development partners in creating a conducive  environment where every Nigerians would be able to fend for themselves to reduce the urge in embarking on irregular migrations.

He also assured the EU and IOM that the support and cooperation being enjoyed at the federal, states and local government levels would continue.

The EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Ketil Karlsen, witnessed the 65th flight since the commencement of the EU assisted special intervention.

The number of Assisted Voluntary Returnees has increased to 12,974 with the latest returnees.

In a brief press briefing, the EU Ambassador stated that migration should be aspiration but not desperation.

He said migration, mobility and curiosity to know new places were as old as human kind itself and were natural.

He, however, cautioned that what was not natural was the kind of irregular migrations that led to wrong purposes and put people’s lives at risk.

He praised all the national and international partners who had been participating in the success story of the exercise.

He lauded the excellent tasks of IOM in the process of identifying, locating, mobilising and convincing the stranded Nigerians to voluntarily return home.

He further praised the UN Migration Agency for initiating the reintegration attractions like the start-up capitals, vocational training and other services that had added value to the lives of the returnees.

The ambassador observed that the root causes of irregular migrations must be addressed.

He said: “We wish to create awareness on the risks that  potential migrants are likely going to face if they embark on irregular journey.”

The post Another set of 132 stranded Nigerians return from Libya appeared first on Frontpageng.

The Coordinator of NEMA’s Lagos Territorial Office, Mallam Idris Muhammed, made this known when he received 174 newly repatriated Assisted Voluntary Returnees from Libya.

He said over 4,900 of the returnees had been trained on various skill acquisition and empowerment training by IOM through special funding facilitated by the European Union.

He also said most of them had set up various businesses in their choice of occupation.

He explained that the Thursday flight was the 64^th since the Programme of Assisted Voluntary Returnees initiated by EU but being implemented by IOM started in April, 2017.

The returnees were brought back aboard Al Buraq Airline in Boeing 737-800 aircraft with flight number UZ 389-390 and registration number 5A-DMG from Sebha City.

They arrived Cargo Wing of MMIA, Ikeja, Nigeria at about 9:45 p.m.

Details on the new returnees indicated that 62 adult female, 11 female children and 11 female infants made the total of 84 females.

The males, he said, were composed of 74 male adults, 12 male children and 4 male infants making a total of 90 males that were brought back.

Whilst addressing the returnees on arrival, the coordinator assured all them and those that had been brought earlier of Federal Government’s readiness to continue supporting and collaborating with other department partners in providing enabling environment for the realisation of potentials of all the youths in the country.

He empahsised that government would continue to strengthen her assistance to state and local government authorities in rehabilitating the returnees into their communities.

The post Libya: 12,574 stranded Nigerians returned home so far -NEMA appeared first on Frontpageng.