NEMA Receives 147 Stranded Nigerians Repatriated from Libya

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has received 147 stranded Nigerians repatriated from Libya under the Assisted Voluntary Return initiative coordinated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, NEMA confirmed that the returnees landed at the Cargo Terminal of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, aboard an Air Libya Airlines flight (registration number 5A-BAE) at about 5:15 p.m. on October 21, 2025.

The operation was supervised by the agency’s Lagos Operations Office, working alongside officials of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons.

According to NEMA, the group included 100 adults 32 males and 68 females along with 34 children and 13 infants.

Officials from the Nigeria Immigration Service were present to conduct biometric registration and documentation.

The agency further disclosed that the returnees were provided with food, medical care, counselling, and logistical support to aid reintegration. “The Federal Government remains committed to ensuring a safe and dignified return for all stranded Nigerians abroad,” the statement added.

This latest batch of returnees brings the total number of Nigerians repatriated through the IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme to over 4,700 in the past two years. Many of these individuals had been trapped in conflict zones or suffered from human trafficking and exploitation.

The IOM’s 2024 report highlighted Libya, Niger, Chad, Mali, and Côte d’Ivoire as key transit points, noting that most victims of trafficking originated from Edo, Delta, Ogun, Imo, and Lagos states.