FG sends delegate to evacuate Nigerians trapped in Libya

A Special Federal Government of Nigeria delegation departed Abuja, Wednesday, for Tripoli, the Libyan Capital, for mass evacuation of Nigerians trapped in the North African Country.

The delegation, which is led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, included the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Dame Julie Okah-Donli, and the Senior Special Assistant to the President of Diaspora Matters, Hon Abike Dabiri Erewa, amongst others.

The delegation, which is also a facts finding mission, would as well ascertain the level of the enslavement of Nigerians in that country and plan for their mass evacuation back home.

Head, Press and Public Relations, NAPTIP, Mr Josiah Emerole, in a statement in Abuja, confirmed that the delegation departed the Presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Wednesday at 9.20am on board the Nigeria Air force Flight N5FGS.

The Facts Finding mission would among other things engage with the Libyan Authorities, Nigerian officials and citizens living in Libya as well as International organisations working on migration issues in Libya.

It will be recalled that following reports of the enslavement of Nigerian Migrants in Libya which has raised a lot of concerns in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the evacuation of all Nigerians trapped in the North African Country back to Nigeria.

He also set up team led by the Foreign Affairs Minister to work out modalities for carrying out the mass evacuation.

Since then, a number of high level meetings have been held amongst various Federal Government Agencies.

Vice President Yemi Osibanjo has also presided over some of those meetings.

NAPTIP Director-General, Dame Julie Okah-Donli, said the Agency was ready to assist victims of human trafficking who would be amongst those returning to Nigeria to get properly reintegrated back into the Nigerian Society.

’’Our counsellors are fully ready to receive the returnees and give them the needed psycho-social assistance for proper reintegration into the society.

“We will also help them with all the necessary tools to sustain themselves including vocational training and education assistance.

“This will be done with assistance from government, corporate bodies and the international organisations.

“This is not the time for anybody to stand aloof and watch the Federal Government alone do it. All hands must be on deck now, because doing nothing will affect all of us,” she said.