FG evacuates 21 Nigerian irregular migrants in Libya

The Federal Government has evacuated 21 Nigerian irregular migrants held in Libyan detention facilities.

The Charge D’Affaires En Titre of the Nigerian Mission in Libya, Amb. Kabiru Musa, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

He said the Nigerians are being evacuated to Nigeria in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM under the Voluntary Humanitarian Repatriation (VHR) exercise.

The exercise, according to Musa, was part of the federal government’s commitment to the safe return of Nigerians stranded in Libya, irrespective of their migration status.

He said the returnees who are being evacuated via the Egypt and Ethiopian Airlines would arrive at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on Tuesday.

The statement read: “The IOM in collaboration with the Embassy of Nigeria Tripoli has repatriated 21 stranded Nigerians through the Voluntary Humanitarian Repatriation (VHR) June 19, from the Benghazi International Airport, Libya, aboard commercial Egyptian Airline no. S830 to Cairo.

“Commercial Ethiopian Airlines will airlift the returnees from Cairo to Addis Ababa and from Addis Ababa to Lagos, Nigeria with flight nos. ET453 and ET901 respectively.

“The Egyptian airline is expected to depart Benghazi on the 19th June 2023 at 11:10 p.m. on transit to Addis Ababa, and the Ethiopian airline will leave Addis Ababa on 20th June 2023 at 09.00 a.m. local time.”

He said the flight would arrive in Lagos at 12:25 p.m. on Tuesday.

The envoy revealed that the exercise was the 7th voluntary evacuation exercise this year with about 5000 Nigerians stranded in Libya evacuated under the VHR.

“We are working closely with the Libyan authorities and we appreciate their support always,” the statement added.

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