A cross sections of evacuated Nigerians waiting to board the Aircraft to Nigeria at the Tripoli International Airpirt, Libya
By EZEKIEL OBI, Abuja –
No fewer than 167 victims of human trafficking and forced labour stranded in Libya have been repatriated by the Federal Government in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
The Charge d’ Affairs of the Nigerian Mission in Libya, Mr. Kabiru Musa, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
Mr. Musa stated the 167 stranded Nigerians left the Mitiga International Airport, Tripoli on Tuesday night and are expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Lagos on Jan. 26.
“Those that were airlifted include men, women and children who are victims of irregular migration, human trafficking that have been stranded in Libya.
“Arrangements have been made on ground back in Nigeria to receive them and reunite them with their families,” Musa stated.
He said the Federal government granted a special waiver to the IOM and the Nigerian Mission in Tripoli following the circumstances in Libya which hosts thousands of stranded Nigerians.
Musa said the exercise which is the first in the year included victims of human trafficking, forced labour, those released from detentions and irregular migrants on voluntary return who took Libya as a transit country.
Musa stated that the exercise was conducted under the COVID-19 protocols with proper supervision of the Libyan Authorities and the Nigerian Mission in Tripoli.
He thanked the Libyan Authorities for their maximum support in ensuring the success of the evacuation exercise.
