6,672 Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya in 12 months - NEMA
- The director general of NEMA, Mustapha Maihajja, receives fresh batch of 257 Nigerians who arrived from Libya
- The official urged Libya returnees to join hands with various government agencies to tackle the problem of human trafficking in the country
- A Libyan returnee, Bola Lawrence, opens up about how trafficking syndicates lure young Nigerians to Libya
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said a total of 6,672 Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya from January 6 to December 28.
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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the director general of NEMA, Mustapha Maihajja, made this known on Friday, December 29, when receiving a fresh batch of 257 Nigerians who arrived from Libya.
Maihajja lauded the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) for their efforts at continuing the repatriation exercise even during the festive season.
The official, who was represented by the southwest coordinator of NEMA, Suleiman Yakubu, enjoined the returnees to join hands with various government agencies to tackle the problem of human trafficking in the country.
He said they should assist the government in identifying the traffickers who had lured and deceived many young Nigerians to embark on the perilous journey with the promise of taking them to Europe.
Maihajja assured them that government would treat all information with utmost confidentiality and secrecy needed.
He also allayed their fears of facing “spiritual “consequences for exposing these evil persons, stressing that they had a duty to educate the public on what they went through in the volatile North African country.
NAN reports that the new returnees arrived the cargo wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos aboard an Afriqiyah Airbus A330-300 with registration number 5A-OMR.
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They comprised 152 adult females, 82 adult males, nine children and 14 infants, with one having a medical case.
The returnees arrived barely 24 hours after another batch of 157 Nigerians landed in the country from Libya where they had been stranded enroute Europe.
Meanwhile, a Libyan returnee, Bola Lawrence, has opened up about how trafficking syndicates who lure young Nigerians to Libya operate.
According to Daily Trust, Lawrence, who is an Ondo state indigene, disclosed that she got to Libya in 2016 with the help of a friend who connected her to another agent.
Legit.ng gathers that she however stated that the agents use charms to lure young victims over.
She further disclosed that 14 girls and six boys had been trafficked to the North African country, just last week.
Mass deportation: Tales of woes from Libya - on Legit.ng TV:
Source: Legit.ng
