By Bilesanmi Abayomi
In a collaborative effort with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the Federal Government has successfully orchestrated the evacuation of 327 stranded Nigerians, including individuals released from detention facilities in Tripoli, Libya.
Ambassador Kabiru Musa, Chargé D’Affaires En Titre of the Nigerian Mission in Libya, revealed this milestone in a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday in Abuja.
The evacuees, consisting of 165 Nigerians liberated from detention facilities in Tripoli and others stranded in the country, were repatriated in two batches from Tripoli International Airport and Benina International Airport, Benghazi, on Tuesday evening.
The group, comprising 108 women, 52 men, four infants, and one child released from detention facilities, and 95 women, 30 men, 19 infants, and 18 children stranded in Libya, is expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on the same night.
Chargé D’Affaires En Titre Musa emphasized that government officials from relevant agencies would be on the ground to receive and reintegrate the evacuees into Nigerian society upon their arrival.
“This marks the first evacuation of the year, and we anticipate further exercises throughout the year, aligning with the Federal Government’s commitment not to abandon any of its citizens abroad,” Musa affirmed.
He expressed gratitude to the Libyan authorities for their support in facilitating the release of those in detention facilities, extending appreciation to the IOM for its continuous support under its Voluntary Humanitarian Repatriation (VHR) exercise.