Over 175 stranded Nigerians landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on Tuesday night after they voluntarily agreed to leave Libya.
The returnees arrived Nigeria aboard a chartered Nouvelair aircraft with registration number TS-INA at 7.50pm.
The return of the 34 males, 122 females, 10 children and nine infants was aided by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM9) and the Nigerian Embassy in Libya.
Receiving the returnees
The returnees were received at the Hajj Camp area of the airport by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) , the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Police.
Also on ground to receive them were officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
Air Commodore Paul Ohemu, Director, Search and Rescue, NEMA, said the agency in collaboration with the IOM was working to stem irregular migration and return stranded Nigerians from Libya.
”There are a lot of things you can do in Nigeria here. You don’t have to travel outside the country in search of greener pastures.
”My advice to parents is to keep tab on their children and to ensure that they know where their children are going to and not to be deceived by phantom promises,” he advised the returnees.