Killings in Libya: FG Evacuates 1,243 More

Posted by admin Africa & World Politics, Headlines Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

Three aircraft arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja yesterday with 1,243 Nigerians who had been stranded in Tripoli due to the on-going political crisis in Libya.The director-general of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the coordinating agency for the operation, Muhammad Sani-Sidi disclosed this to journalists, while receiving the passengers at the airport.

He said President Goodluck Jonathan had directed that all Nigerians who were distressed and willing to return to Nigeria should be evacuated as soon as possible.

According to the DG, the operation had witnessed the deployment of four chartered planes with the capacity to accommodate 500 passengers each, as well as a commercial aircraft that could accommodate about 200 passengers.

He said that so far the total number of Nigerians that have been evacuated is 2,278.

The agency which initially targeted 2000 Nigerians had discovered that more stranded Nigerians had continued to troop out from remote areas of Libya to the Tripoli Airport, seeking to be evacuated.

Mr Timloh B. Nkem, Director North and Horn of Africa Division, who represented the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Odein Ajumogobia said that about 3000 additional Nigerians have registered with the embassy officials in Libya, indicating their desire to be evacuated.

Most of the returnees who looked exhausted and tired from the stress in Libya, commended President Goodluck Jonathan for initiating the move for their evacuation. Two of them delivered babies at Tripoli Airport, while awaiting the arrival of chartered aircrafts from Nigeria.

Another pregnant woman among the returnees who simply gave her name as Mary said, “if not for the evacuation, I wonder how I could deliver in that hard condition in crowded open camp. I am happy that the government provided food and medications for us on our arrival here in Nigeria.”

-Leadershipwp_posts