Edo State has topped the list of Nigerians deported from 16 countries around the world in the past 32 months.

This is as another batch of 168 Nigerians comprising males, females, children and minors were early Friday morning returned from Libya for illegally entering the North African country.

Statistics released by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) indicated that at least, 15,731 Nigerians have been deported from 16 countries, including since April 2017 when the repatriation exercise coordinated by International Orgnisation for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with European Union (EU) commenced.

According to NEMA, Edo State led other states of the federation among deportees with 40.6 per cent, while Delta had 13.3 per cent within the period.

Others were Ogun, 6.2 per cent; Imo 4.7 per cent; Lagos 4.3 per cent; Oyo 4.1 per cent; Yobe 3.6 per cent; Kano 3.1 per cent and Osun with 2.9 per cent, while other states completed the list.

Some of the 16 countries they were deported in the past 32 months included Niger Republic, with 1,599; Morocco, 79; Liberia had 12; Burkina Faso was 24 and France had four Nigerians within the period under review.

Others were Ireland with only one female, Poland, Austria, Gambia, Mauritania, Ethiopia all had one male each, while Chad had three and Cote D’ivoire with two females repatriated.

According to its estimate, adult males formed 54 per cent; female was 37 per cent; while male and female minors were 4 per cent each among the returnees.

On the state of their conditions and those that suffered various degrees of tortures, NEMA stated that 31 males were affected, while females were 21 within the period.

The statistics added: “Unaccompanied minors that were assisted back in males were 66 and females were 67; those who were kidnapped out of Nigeria, but assisted back to the country were 79 males and 31 females; single parent males, 41 and females are 616.

“The total number of pregnant women brought back so far is 439 while those with various medical issues males 592 and females 804 and migrants assisted back with psychosocial needs are males 523 and females 470 as the summary of the special intervention exercise.”

Besides, another batch of 168 Nigerians stranded in Libya after their failure to illegally migrate to Europe failed were returned to the country on Friday morning through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Statistics released by NEMA indicated that the arrival of the new batch brought the number of deportees from Libya to 13, 884 since April when the deportation exercise started by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in conjunction with the European Union (EU).

NEMA said they were brought into the country through the Murtala Muhammed Airport Cargo Wing and received by Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, the Acting Coordinator of NEMA Lagos Territorial Office.

According to Farinloye, the deportees arrived Nigerian aboard Al Buraq Airline, which landed at 5: 42a.m after 12 hours of delayed.

After profiling, Farinloye said 38 of them were adult females, five female children while 109 adult males, six male children and 10 infants were among the new returnees. (Saturday Independent)

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