Photos: 161 Nigerians Deported From Libya Arrive Lagos Airport

Not less than one hundred and sixty-one Nigerians stranded in Libya were on Tuesday returned to the country voluntarily and were received by the National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA) along with the office of the Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Matters at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.

The returnees came into the country via an Airbus 329 with registration number Nouvelair TS-INB with their journeys facilitated by International Oganisation for Migration, IOM, after the Federal Government asked for its assistance after confirming that some Nigerians were  willing to return home.

Giving the account of the returnees, the Director General of NEMA, represented by the Deputy Director, Search and Rescue, Dr. Abdullahi Onimode, said they were made up of 101  females and 60 males, seven children, and two infants.

He added that, there were also three unaccompanied minors while three of the deportees needed medical care.

According to him, the deportees would be given some token to go back to their respective destinations.

Speaking further, the NEMA boss advised those leaving the country in search of greener pastures to have a rethink and stay in the country to develop it.

“We are giving them some stipends. We need to  let them realize that the country they left some years ago is not the same country they are meeting today. We have moved ahead and everybody now has equal opportunity to be the best you can be.”