The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally-Displaced Persons (NCRMI), on Wednesday said many of the voluntarily returning young Nigerians from Libya had expressed joy coming back to their country.
The commission’s South-West Zonal Coordinator, Mrs Margaret Ukegbu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that they were happy to return to Nigeria after harrowing experiences in Libya.
According to her, the commission, other relevant agencies and NGOs have, between February and November this year, received about 4,141 young Nigerians at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja alone.
“In the last eleven months, to be precise, between February and November, this year, we have received about 4,141 voluntarily returning young Nigerians from Libya.
“From our interaction with these returnees, most of them are very happy coming back to their fatherland, Nigeria, from Libya.
“Some of them have even sworn not to, no matter the situation in Nigeria, to ever embark on such tortuous and dangerous trips again.
“Many of them recounted how they were auctioned as slaves, kidnapped on the roads, beaten frequently, abused and arbitrarily detained and made to live up to a hundred in a room in Libya.
“So many others were said to have got missing in transit, while many others died. With these treatments they received in Libya, many of them are really happy that they got back home safely,’’ she said.
Ukegbu said that many other young Nigerians currently stranded in Libya, would also be returning home before the end of this year.
She commended the Edo State Government for coming to the Airport to receive some of the returning young boys and girls from the state for rehabilitation.