A fresh batch of 160 stranded Nigerians has returned to the country following the harrowing experience they went through in their failed attempts to reach European countries through Libya .
The returnees were received on Thursday night by the National Emergency Management Agency at the Cargo Wing of Murtala Muhammed International Airport , Ikeja , Lagos .
Addressing the returnees, the Director General of NEMA , Mustapha Maihajja , urged them to put their experiences behind them and forge ahead , noting that they had opportunities to build a prosperous future for themselves .
The DG, who was represented by an official of the agency , Segun Afolayan , and other national stakeholders , enjoined the returnees to live a dignified life and make the country proud through innovations and creativity .
Maihajja said , “ At the end of profiling , the breakdown of the returnees is seven female adults and 153 male adults.
“ Federal and state governments as well as the development partners are working assiduously to create more conducive atmosphere where we can all prosper . ”
Narrating his experience , one of the returnees , Kingsley Edward , a National Diploma holder, urged the Federal Government to create jobs , adding that he left Nigeria because of the lack of opportunities in the country.
He said , “I left Nigeria in August 2017. I decided to leave the country because there was no youth empowerment and I needed to find something doing . Even if you have your results in Nigeria , it is difficult to get a job if you don’ t have someone to help you .
“ I believed when I got to Europe I would get a job and would be able to further my education . I looked for an agent and we agreed on N 500 , 000 . On getting to Libya , he abandoned me .
“ I worked for some months to raise money so that I could go to Europe . I looked for another agent and paid him 3 , 500 dinars (an equivalent of N 350 , 000 ). The agent picked me and we went through the desert for five days . Everything about the journey had to do with dodging and hiding , ” he said .
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