Alex Enumah in Abuja
The federal government has revealed that no les than 3,000 Nigerians have so far been repatriated from Libya in the wake of recent slave trading in that country.
The government said only last week, 250 Nigerians were repatriated also from Libya.
Charge d’Affaires of Nigeria in Libya, Mr Illiya Danladi Fachano, made the disclosure yesterday in Abuja, while addressing the Charles Oputa, alias Charly Boy-led group, “OurMumuDonDoâ€, who had converged on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, to urge the government to act quickly in order to save the lives of Nigerians trapped in Libya.
“Good morning everybody. Like the man introducing me, I am the Charge d’Affaires. In other words, the Nigerian Head of Mission to that country.
“I exist there to serve the interest of Nigerians. I am here by this opportunity you have created to tell you that the mission repatriates migrant Nigerians; every week, 250,†Fachano said.
The envoy disclosed further that another batch of 250 Nigerian migrants would be repatriated to the Nigeria tomorrow.
“They are going to arrive Lagos at 7p.m. If it is not 7p.m, it is because the plane is delayed for one reason or the other,†he added.
He disclosed that the mission usually visits every week, the detention camps where illegal Nigerian migrants are detained.
He added that other nationalities such as Ghanaians and Gambians, were also detained at the camps, saying that the mission visits the camps to identify Nigerian citizens and get them registered.
Fachano stated that so far, about 2,000 Nigerians had been registered, even as he said that they were being conveyed to Nigeria in a batch of 250.
Speaking earlier, Oputa said he was saddened because Nigeria is a country that offers so little in spite of its abundant human and natural resources.
He added that it was a sad day because President Muhammadu Buhari had not shown leadership, declaring that the giant of Africa suddenly became the rat of Africa.
“I am here in solidarity with my comrades, my children, my grandchildren and this is the life I have chosen from henceforth to live, to be that facilitating factor, to be the ginger, to encourage young, exceptional Nigerian youths, for them to know, for them to finally realise that the future of this country lies in their hands and unless they are proactive, unless they take charge of their future, they won’t have a future in this country,†Oputa said.
