The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Friday received 129 Nigerians stranded from Libya at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
The Director-General of NEMA, Alh Mustapha Ahmed, who was represented by the Acting Coordinator of the Lagos Territorial Office of the Agency, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
Farinloye said that the stranded Nigerians arrived at the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport at about 2.09 a.m. with Boeing 737-800 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).
This was done through a voluntary repatriation programme for the distressed 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 included 27 male adults, 74 female adults, four male and seven female children, six female infants and 11 male infants, including three males with mental health related issues.
“ 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.
“ Many are permanently disabled from traumatised tortured resulting in serious mental health challenges,” he said
Farinloye said that ample opportunities existed for all to thrive and live happily in virtuous and God fearing manners in Nigeria without unnecessarily oneself to undeserved dangers in foreign lands.
He said that the returnees were received by NEMA, along with other sister agencies including the Nigeria Immigration Service, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Police.