As efforts intensify in bringing Nigerians back home from Libya, the Federal Government has revealed the number of persons repatriated so far.
File photo: Nigerians return from Libya
According to a NAN report, the Federal Government said 3250 Nigerians have so far been repatriated from Libya in recent times.
This is even as 300 other Nigerians are to be repatriated from Libya every week.
Charge d’Affaires of Nigeria in Libya, Mr Illiya Fachano revealed this in an interview and said government continue to make efforts to save Nigerians that are trapped in Libya.
“We, the embassy of Nigeria in Tripoli, Libya, have been doing our best to register Nigerians.
“We have visited the detention camps, and also collaborated with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to repatriate migrants weekly.
“We also ensure that we are up to date with the number of Nigerians in specific detention camps.
“I want it to be clear that the mission and Nigerian government have been doing this long before the CNN report.’’
“We have asked the Nigerian presidency to provide us with an extra airplane to assist with quick repatriation of registered Nigerians who are willing to return.
“I want the public to know that we have some Nigerians who are not willing to return despite the unfavorable situations and the fact is that we can’t get them on the flight without their consent.
Fachano said that the repatriation exercise would wont be a temporary thing – as he promised it would be a continuous exercise.
He said that the government would continue to engage the legitimate government in Libya and other stakeholders in addressing the plight of Nigerian migrants in that country.
The Foreign Ministry has urged citizens to reach the Nigerian Embassy in Libya for assistance through these emergency numbers: +218910144487, +218925099384 and +218917953365.
“The contact email addresses for the embassy and the ministry are: nigeria@nigeriantripoli.org and help@foreignaffairs.gov.ng.
The ministry said that the embassy had received requests for intervention from some relations of the victims based in Nigeria through these contacts.