LAGOS, Nigeria (FN) — The National Emergency Management Agency said Wednesday it received 180 Nigerians who were stranded in Libya and returned home through a voluntary repatriation program.
The returnees arrived Tuesday night at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos aboard a chartered flight organized by the International Organization for Migration, according to NEMA’s Lagos Territorial Coordinator, Ibrahim Farinloye.
Farinloye said the group included men, women and children, many of whom had been held in detention centers or faced exploitation while attempting to migrate to Europe through North Africa.
Upon arrival, the returnees were provided with food, medical care and temporary shelter. Officials from NEMA, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, and other agencies were present to assist.
“This operation is part of ongoing efforts to discourage irregular migration and support safe reintegration,” Farinloye said.
The repatriation was conducted under the Assisted Voluntary Return program, a partnership between the Nigerian government and the IOM. Thousands of Nigerians have been returned from Libya in recent years, many of them victims of human trafficking or forced labor.
One returnee, 26-year-old Amina Yusuf from Kano, said she spent eight months in a Libyan detention center. “I thought I would never see my family again,” she said. “Coming home feels like a second chance.”
Another returnee, Chinedu Okeke from Anambra, described his journey as “a nightmare.” “We were promised jobs in Europe, but ended up in cages,” he said. “I’m grateful to be back.”
IOM Nigeria Chief of Mission Laurent de Boeck praised the resilience of the returnees and called for stronger regional cooperation to address the root causes of irregular migration. “These individuals have endured unimaginable hardship. Their safe return is just the beginning,” he said.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, commended the returnees for their courage and resilience. “The government remains committed to protecting Nigerians abroad and ensuring that those who return are given the support they need to reintegrate,” she said.
Edu also urged young Nigerians to avoid irregular migration routes and emphasized the importance of government-led empowerment programs. “We are expanding opportunities at home so that no one feels forced to risk their lives abroad,” she added.
Social media reactions were mixed, with many Nigerians expressing sympathy and calling for better economic opportunities at home. “No one risks their life in Libya unless they’re desperate,” one user posted on X (formerly Twitter). “We need to fix things here.”
