By Okojie Annabelle Ofure
September 10 2026
A total of 180 Nigerians stranded in Libya have been repatriated to the country under a government-backed assisted return programme, arriving at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) disclosed that the returnees arrived at about 6:36 p.m. on Monday aboard an Air Buraq Airlines flight that landed at the airport’s Cargo Terminal in Ikeja.
The evacuation was facilitated through collaboration between the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), under the Assisted Voluntary Return Programme.
The returnees comprised 169 adults, including 68 men and 101 women, as well as six male children, five infants and one male medical case.
Following their arrival, officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service carried out biometric registration and documentation to establish their identities and support subsequent reintegration efforts.
NEMA said the returnees were also provided with immediate humanitarian assistance, including food, drinking water, medical screening and ambulance services for those requiring medical attention. Support was equally provided for luggage handling and other logistical needs.
The agency added that counselling, reception coordination and reintegration assistance were made available to help the returnees resume their lives in their respective communities.
NEMA said the exercise reflected the coordinated efforts of government institutions and partner organisations to ensure that Nigerians returning from difficult circumstances abroad receive a safe, orderly and dignified reception.
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