Libyan
authorities on Wednesday night deported 164 Nigerians who allegedly entered the
North African country through illegal means.
The
returnees were flown in a chartered plane from Libya which touched down at
Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos at 6:25 p.m.
Our
correspondent gathered that the expatriates were held in various detention
camps throughout Libya for nearly a year before being repatriated back to
Nigeria. He reported that the International Organisation for Migration (IOM)
assisted in their repatriation.
Among the
returnees were 97 men, 53 women, 11 children, and 3 infants.
According to Saharareporters; It was
gathered that the migrants traveled to Libya in hopes of reaching Europe by
crossing the Mediterranean Sea. Earlier this week, 34 migrants traveling in an
overcrowded boat drowned while attempting to make the treacherous journey
across the sea.
Our
correspondent observed that the Nigerian returnees were emotional upon landing
in their home country. Many knelt down and began to thank God for their safe
return.
One
returnee, who gave her name simply as Adesua, a native of Benin, Edo State,
told our reporter that she was lured into the journey through an agent who
promised to take her to Europe.
“Before I
left Benin, the agent who came to pick me up said that he was taking me to
Italy for improved living,” she said. “My parents consented to it, hoping that
I would find myself in Europe, but I found myself in Libya. Even in Libya, the
agent still promised to get us to Europe, but it didn’t work out.
“I have been
in detention in Libya for close to a year, and when the opportunity came for me
to return to Nigeria, I jumped at it. Libya was a hell and I won’t pray for my
enemy to go through the bad experience I went through in that country.”
The
returnees were profiled and processed by officials of the Nigeria Immigration
Service (NIS) and other security agencies at the airport.
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