The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has received 181 Nigerian returnees from Libya at the cargo terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos.
The returnees arrived at about 9:50 p.m. on March 10, 2026, aboard an aircraft operated by Al Buraq Airlines from Benghazi under the Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) programme facilitated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria.
According to NEMA, the reception exercise was coordinated by its Lagos Operations Office in partnership with the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) and other relevant agencies.
A breakdown of the returnees showed that 164 were adults, comprising 75 males and 90 females, including two female medical cases. Others included seven children—three males and four females—and ten infants made up of three males and six females.
Officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service carried out biometric registration and documentation of the returnees upon arrival to ensure proper records and facilitate their reintegration.
The returnees were also provided with humanitarian assistance, including food, potable water, medical attention, ambulance services, luggage handling and counselling support to ensure a safe and orderly reception.
Authorities said the exercise underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring the safe, dignified and humane return of Nigerians stranded abroad through coordinated humanitarian interventions.
