The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has successfully repatriated 298 Nigerians who were trapped in Libyan prisons, allowing them to reunite with their families and friends. The repatriation exercise began on August 21, 2023, and continued until August 28, 2023.
Of the 298 individuals, there were 124 females and 174 males, including three infants and six children. The returnees had experienced distressing conditions while being detained in troubled areas of northern Africa, with many expressing their desire to spare others from similar ordeals.
The repatriation was a collaborative effort involving NEMA, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Port Health, and the National Centre for Disease Control. The returnees were transported via a chartered Boeing 737-800 aircraft and arrived at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport in Ikeja.
Various agencies were present at the airport to receive the returnees, marking the successful conclusion of the repatriation process.