The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Tuesday received 162 stranded Nigerians from Libya at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

Ibrahim Farinloye, the acting coordinator of its Lagos office, who confirmed the development, said the returnees arrived at the cargo wing of the airport at about 4:56 p.m.

He said they were brought back to the country by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) through a voluntary repatriation programme for the distressed who had left the country to seek greener pastures in various European countries but could not afford to return when their journey became frustrated.

Mr Farinloye said the returnees were 96 male adults, 41 female adults, nine male and five female children, six female infants and five male infants, including three adult male with minor medical issues.

He noted that the agency recorded 91 flights that brought returnees into the country from April 2017 and a total of 24,000 returnees, while 16,000 were from Libya.

He said the returnees were received by NEMA, along with other sister agencies, including the Immigration Service, Refugee Commission, FAAN and the Nigeria Police.

(NAN)