The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said on Wednesday that it had received 158 Nigerian returnees from Libya through Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The Acting Coordinator of the NEMA Lagos Territorial Office, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, told the Nigerian News Agency (NAN) in Lagos.
Farinloye said the returnees, who had been stranded in Libya, departed from Mitiga International Airport, Tripoli, aboard a Buraq Aircraft Boeing 737-800 plane with registration number 5A-DMG.
He said they arrived at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, around 5.47pm.
Farinloye said the returnees were met at the Airport Cargo Wing.
“The returnees were returned to the country by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) through a voluntary repatriation program for people in danger,” he said.
Farinloye said the returnees were made up of adult men and women, children and babies, while there were three medical cases.
“The returnees will be kept in transit for seven days during a period of isolation during which they will be provided with training and other medical procedures.
“IOM has been helping several Nigerians return to the country since 2012 in a special program sponsored by the European Union for young Nigerians who intended to travel outside the country in search of greener pastures but were left stranded in Libya.
“About 19,000 Nigerians have returned to date,” he said.
Farinloye said the Port Health Unit of the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Commission for Resilience, Migration and Internally Displaced Persons and the Nigerian Immigration Services are part of the government agencies that received returnees at the airport.

We welcome them back