In a recent evacuation effort, 122 stranded Nigerians have been successfully brought back home from Libya.
The group includes 52 males, 39 females (seven of whom were rescued victims of human trafficking), 21 children, and 10 infants.
This latest operation raises the total number of Nigerians repatriated from Libya in 2024 to 1,350. In comparison, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) assisted in the return of 2,041 stranded Nigerian migrants in 2023.
The evacuees departed from Mitiga International Airport aboard a chartered flight and landed at Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.
This evacuation, conducted on Tuesday, May 28, was the ninth of its kind this year, organized by the Nigerian Mission in Libya in collaboration with the IOM as part of its Voluntary Humanitarian Repatriation (VHR) programme.
During the evacuation in Tripoli, Nigeria’s newly-posted Charge’ d’Affaires en-titre to Libya, Mohammed Mohammed, advised Nigerians to avoid irregular migrations.
He highlighted that such migrations often lead to slavery and sexual exploitation in Europe.
Mohammed emphasized that while legal migrations are acceptable, Nigerians should thoroughly consider the risks before embarking on perilous journeys across the desert.
