167 more Nigerians return from Libya

ABUJA, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- One hundred and sixty-seven more Nigerians returned home from Libya on Monday, after having been stranded in the north African country en route to Europe, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said.

The 167 returnees bring the total number of Nigerians who voluntarily returned to the country in the past four days to 532.

The returnees, who comprised 145 adult males, 21 females and one child, were assisted back to Nigeria by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Nigerian government, and the European Union (EU).

Head of NEMA Mustapha Maihajja told Xinhua three of the returnees had medical cases and were promptly given treatment by doctors and paramedics.

Early December, the Nigerian government said it had identified 2,778 of its citizens languishing in detention camps in Libya.

The Nigerian migrants were kept in some accessible detention camps in Libya, the government said, noting they were identified by officials of the Nigerian Embassy in that country who visited the detention camps. Enditem