158 Nigerian illegal migrants repatriated from Libya

The Federal Government has repatriated 158 irregular Nigerian migrants from Libya.

Nigeria’s Charge’ d’ Affaires to Libya, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed, made this known in a statement on Wednesday.

Mohammed said that the evacuees comprised 77 males, 45 females, 26 children and 10 infants.

The envoy explained that of the total number, 26 males were arrested from the ongoing raid of undocumented foreigners in Libya and were released from Abu-Salim Detention Centre in Tripoli.

According to him, so far, 1, 776 stranded Nigerians have returned home.

Mohammed said that the repatriation was a collaborative effort of the mission and the Libyan authorities.

He said that the collaboration was under the International Organisation for Migration under the organisation’s Voluntary Humanitarian Repatriation.

“This marks the 12th evacuation exercise carried out by the Nigerian Mission in Libya this year.

“The current exercise follows the repatriation of 142 irregular Nigerian migrants from Sabha, Libya, on July 19.

“While some of them were rescued from the Mediterranean Sea by the Libyan Coastal Guards, others were arrested on charges of prostitution, illegal entry, overstay and lack of proper documentation while others willingly submitted themselves to the IOM in Libya for repatriation.

“Nigerians living in Libya, from many indications, already have damaged reputations due to the alleged nefarious activities of some criminal elements among them.

“Some have been fingered in the commitment of crimes such as kidnapping for ransom, drug peddling, prostitution, sale of alcohol as well as cultism and human trafficking with their Libyan collaborators, among others .

“It is, therefore, as a result of the above that arrest and deportation of Nigerians may continue in the weeks and months ahead,” he said.

The envoy urged Nigerians to shun irregular migrations, saying there had been increasing and coordinated raids of illegal migrants across the cities of Libya.

According to him, these are likely going to continue as Libyan authorities consider the influx of illegal migrants in the country a national security issue and have vowed to employ all legal means to stop the menace.