The Nigerian Federal Government, in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), has evacuated 117 migrants from Libya, according to Nigeria’s National Online newspaper.
The evacuation came a week after the Nigerian Mission in Tripoli successfully evacuated 137 stranded Nigerians from Libya, the Chargé D’affaires of the Nigerian Mission to Libya, Kabiru Musa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Musa said the evacuees, who included 89 men, 22 women, two children, and four infants, left Tripoli and will land at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMA) in Lagos. He added that the evacuees comprised of 48 people, who were released from Libyan detention facilities.
Last month, Nigerian police announced the rescuing of nine women, who were being trafficked to Libya, according to the Eagle Online news.
Nigeria’s State Police Public Relations Officer, Gambo Isah said that on 29 September, a criminal hideout in Daura Local Government Area was raided, and the nine women were rescued.
“In the course of the investigation, the victims stated that they were conveyed from Kano State to Daura by a driver, who on sighting the Police team abandoned the victims. They further stated that they were en route to Libya through the Niger Republic border. An investigation is ongoing, with a view to arrest the fleeing suspect,” Isah concluded.
In September, the Nigerian Department of State Services (DSS) Kano Command announced the rescue of over 27 victims of human trafficking who were heading to Libya. DSS handed the victims to the Joint Border Task Force Kano Command.
This was announced by Abdullahi Babale, Kano Zonal Commander of the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano. He said that the victims were taken from Oyo, Osun, Kogi, Ondo, Ekiti, Lagos, and Ogun states.
Babale pointed out that the victims and their traffickers were set to travel to Libya for employment.
“They fall between the ages of 19 years and 40 years, with 23 females and four males,” Babale said. He explained that the Agency would arraign the suspects, as well as reunite the victims with their families.