NEMA receives 126 stranded Nigerians from Libya
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Thursday received 126 stranded Nigerians from Libya at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
The Acting Coordinator of the Lagos Territorial Office of the Agency, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, confirmed the development to The Business Intelligence (TBI Africa) in Lagos.
Farinloye who represented the Director General, Alhaji Mustapha Ahmed said that the stranded Nigerians were received at the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport at about 16:22 p.m with Boeing 700-787 Al Buraq Air with registration number 5A-DMG.
He said that the returnees were brought back to the country by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) through a voluntary repatriation programme.
He said that the programme was meant for the distressed Nigerians who had left the country to seek greener pastures in various European countries but could not afford to return when their journey became frustrated.
Farinloye said that the returnees are 46 male adults, 62 female adults, two male and six female child, four female infant and six male infant were brought back to the country.
He urged Nigerians to be wary of close associates, family friends or neighbourhood elders who would deceived with sweet talk of better life in foreign land.
According to him, These people are found cashing-in as messiah to helping Nigerians to slavery which the victims would regret through the rest of their lives.
Farinloye highlighted that the new deceit being used as destination points are Iraq, Dubai (United Arab Emirates) and Egypt but all their victims end up in connection houses in Libya.
He enjoined the returnees to turn a new leaf in looking for ample opportunities abound in the country that are enough for everyone to achieve their desired goals.
He, however, appealed to the returnees to avoid vices that they must have been exposed to from the country of departure in their homeland in order to best of our potentials in a peaceful and conducive atmosphere.
” We admonished the returnees on the need to realise that there’s no country better than Nigeria.
” Here you have all the freedom to achieve your potentials, looking for greener pastures in foreign is no longer a reality, those countries are not better off when you consider the challenges you encounter there and here.
” You are encouraged to be positive ambassadors toward advocacy and sensitisation against irregular migration that leave the youths vulnerable to all sorts of abuses and death in extreme cases.
” There are ample opportunities for all of us to thrive and live happily in virtuous and God fearing manners in Nigeria without unnecessarily exposing ourselves to undeserved dangers in foreign lands,” he said.
He said that the returnees were received by NEMA, along with other sister agencies such as: Immigration Service, Refugee Commission, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Police.
