Lagos: 153 Nigerian waka abroad pipu returned from Libya

As part of de ongoing effort make dem return Nigerian waka abroad pipu wey dey stranded for Libya, a group of 153 waka abroad pipu were returned voluntarily to Lagos for 28 August 2019. Dey were received for de airport by de National Emergency Management Agency. 

De Nigerians were brought home thru de Assisted Voluntary Returnees Programme of de International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and European Union (EU), according to Mustapha Maihajja, de Director-General of NEMA. Maihajja also talk say de returnees include 59 women, 78 men and 16 shidren and small babies.

Na at least 10,000 Nigerian waka abroad pipu wey return from Libya between April 2017 and October 2018. For Edo State alone, na at least 5,000 waka abroad pipu wey dem done bring home from Libya for the past two years.

According to Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to de President on top Media and Publicity, many Nigerians dey consider kurukere waka abroad because of “ogbonge humanitarian gbege wey dey happen from fighting and de Lake Chad wey dey dry up.” As dem dey respond to de increase in waka waka, de Government of Nigeira don develop inter-agency system for part of im plan to stop kurukere waka abroad and to hepp return waka abroad pipu wey don strand for Libya.

Oda agencies wey dey put mouth and hand for de return of waka abroad pipu include de Nigeria Immigration Service and de National Agency for de Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.

Libya na wan of de main kountries wey Nigerians wey wan reach Europe dey pass thru in kurukere way. Bert, many dey strand for de country wey war don tear am apart, where dem dey for risk of make dem kidnap dem, beat dem, sell dem as slaves and even kill dem. 

De UNHCR estimate say arand 6,000 kurukere waka abroad pipu dey held for conditions wey dey bad pass for detention centres for Libya. Dere don be reports of waka abroad pipu wey dem detain wey enta inside de crossfire of de Libya gbege wey dey shele now.

TMP 25/09/2019

Photo credit: Pulse.ng

Photo caption: Stranded waka abroad Nigerian as dem dey arrive come from Libya