By Atoyebi Nike
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has received 147 stranded Nigerians repatriated from Libya under the Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) programme, jointly supported by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Federal Government of Nigeria.
In a statement posted on Wednesday, NEMA said the returnees arrived at the Cargo Terminal of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, aboard an Air Libya Airlines flight (registration number 5A-BAE) at 5:15 p.m. on October 21, 2025.
The group included 100 adults (32 males and 68 females), 34 children (18 males and 16 females), and 13 infants (5 males and 8 females). Officials from the Nigeria Immigration Service conducted biometric registration and documentation to support proper identification and reintegration.
NEMA said the returnees were provided with food, water, medical care, counselling, and logistical support, reaffirming the government’s commitment to ensuring the safe and dignified return of citizens stranded abroad.
The agency described the reception process as “well-coordinated, efficient, and centred on the welfare and dignity of all returnees.”
This latest operation forms part of Nigeria’s broader reintegration efforts. According to the IOM’s 2024 Annual Report, 4,760 Nigerians were repatriated last year from countries including Libya, Niger, Chad, Mali, and Côte d’Ivoire with over 1,100 identified as victims of human trafficking, mostly from Edo, Delta, Ogun, Imo, and Lagos states.
