The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Libya

  • 171 more Nigerians return from Libya with tales of woes

    171 more Nigerians return from Libya with tales of woes

    No fewer than 171  Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya on Tuesday aboard a chartered Nouvelair aircraft with with tales of woes.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the aircraft landed about 4.18pm at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    NAN reports that another batch comprising  161 Nigerians, had earlier on Feb. 14 also voluntarily returned from the North African country where they had been stranded enroute Europe.

    The new set of returnees were brought back by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Nigerian Embassy in Libya.

    They were received at the Hajj Camp area of the airport by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) , the National Agency for the Protection of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Police.

    Also on ground to receive them were officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

    Air Commodore Salisu Mohammed, Director,  Search and Rescue, NEMA, who gave a breakdown of the returnees, said they were made up of of 49 males, 109 females, seven children and six infants.

    Addressing newsmen, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, commended the IOM for facilitating the return of the Nigerians.

    She said : “Like I told them, they are not criminals.These are people that have gone in search for greener pastures. However, it turned out to be a terrible experience for them.

    “They shouldn’t be ashamed of themselves. Now they are back home and Mr President has personally conveyed his greetings to them and to let them know that they are back in Nigeria and there is no better time than now.

    “Times are tough, things are difficult but your country is the best place to be. ”

    According to her, the Federal Government, IOM and some states have put up programmes in place to rehabilitate Nigerians who volunteered to return from Libya in order to reintegrate them into the society.

    “The question is, how long are we going to keep evacuating them? So there is going to be another evacuation and a final one when we will tell Nigerians who are stranded in Libya to come back home.

    “After that it will be difficult getting IOM to do the evacuation.

    “A lot of them don’t know where they are going to. There is a lot of ignorance here. Some of them are trafficked and they get there with nothing.

    “The message here is that illegal migration is not worth it because as tough as the country is today, you are better off here than being in those places,” Dabiri-Erewa said .

    She reiterated the government’s committment to the welfare of Nigerians all over the world, stressing that it was currently addressing the issue of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians living in South Africa.

    The senior special assistant described the attacks as shameful, noting that it was wrong to generalise Nigerians in the country as criminals.

    One of the returnees, Miss Gift Peters said she got to Libya 11 months ago after being deceived that she was being taken to Germany.

    “When I got to Libya, it was not in my mind to continue with the journey. So I asked the person that took me to return me to Nigeria but he started maltreating me and sold me to someone who has a connection house in Libya where we were maltreated daily.

    “If we don’t want to work, they will start maltreating us. They will do you something that you will wish to die.

    “Those who they sold us to, sometimes, use iron and start burning us. At times, they will instruct our fellow ladies to urinate for us to drink,” the Delta State indigene said amidst tears.

    According to her, she managed to eventually contact her family in Nigeria and was fortunate to make it back alive unlike many of her peers who joined her on the ill-fated journey. (NAN)

  • More Nigerians to return from Libya, says NEMA

    More Nigerians to return from Libya, says NEMA

    A fresh batch of Nigerians is being expected to arrive in the country today from Libya.
    This is coming barely one week after 161 Nigerians voluntarily returned to the country.
    Spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), South-West Zone  Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye  confirmed the development to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos.
    Farinloye said the returnees would arrive at the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO)/Hajj Camp Section of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos about 3:00p.m.
    One hundred and sixty-one Nigerians, on February 14, voluntarily returned from Libya aboard a chartered Nouvelair aircraft with registration number TS-1NB.
    The aircraft had landed at 3.55p.m. at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
    The returnees, comprising 40 men, 103 women, nine children and nine infants, were brought back by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Nigerian Embassy in Libya.
    They were received by officers of Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), National Agency for the Protection of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Police.
    Also on ground to receive them were officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

  • Photos: Nigerian returnees from Libya on arrival in Lagos

    Photos: Nigerian returnees from Libya on arrival in Lagos

  • Nothing has changed in US visa policy for Nigerians-Ambassador

    Nothing has changed in US visa policy for Nigerians-Ambassador

    The United States (U.S) government has allayed the fears of many Nigerians over the Executive Immigration Order.

    According to the U.S Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Stuart Symington, no Nigerian will be discriminated against on the basis of the order.

    Trump had signed an executive order barring citizens from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Sudan from entering the country for 90 days and also suspended the admission of all refugees for 120 days.

    Symington stressed that the Nigeria-U.S relationship  is a strategic one that must be sustained; adding that the connection between our two countries has been strong today and will continue to be strong tomorrow.

    He however stressed that in granting of visas, the full process must be followed and not religion.
    The envoy therefore emphasized that should there be any rejection, it should not be construed to mean discrimination, as every single conversation will be part of the process.

    Symington who briefed newsmen on the Executive Order on ‘Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorists Entry into the United States’ said  relating to Nigeria, nothing has changed.

    He also said that contrary to the report making the rounds, U.S has not reduced the visa time frame for Nigeria, saying that the two years multiple entry visa policy is still in place.
    Besides, he said those with valid visas have nothing to fear, as the validity of the visa will remain until the expiry date.

    Also, for a Nigerian with dual nationality affiliation with the seven affected Muslim countries, the ambassador said  he or she would not be banned from entering U.S.

    “Security is not the job of only one country. Let me reassure Nigerians that every single action the US takes would be on the basis of legality and due process no one will be discriminated against. No Nigerian would be denied visas because he or she is from a particular region of the country.

    “The new order now is for the US government to cross check as many that are coming into the US before issuing visas; we will not discriminate on the basis of religion in issuing visas to Nigerians. The two years visa is still valid contrary to reports we have heard in the media.

    “Nigeria’s leadership role is crucial in the world and Nigeria cannot be blacklisted. The importance of Nigeria in the world is legal.”

    Meghan Moore, Head of Consular U.S Embassy, Abuja explained that, “the  idea of how the US government decide the duration of Visa issuance is based on Nigeria government treatment to US travelers to Nigeria.  The US government generally issues multiple entry non-immigrant visas  with a validity of two years to eligible individuals who are travelling with the Nigeria passport. We issue as a general rule a two year visa and that has not changed. There  can be some exception based on some specific individuals.”

    What has changed, according to her is the period for visa renewal.

    “It used to be 45 month for visas renewal before now, but as a result of the new order, it’s now 12 month to renew visas. If not, registration and visa interview has to be carried out,” she explained.
    “Nigerians can use the DHL renewal process if their visas expire within 12 month.  If not, they have to schedule another interview with the embassy,” Moore said.

  • Nine Libyan govt. soldiers die in Benghazi clash

    Nine Libyan govt. soldiers die in Benghazi clash

    Nine Libyan army soldiers have been killed in the eastern city of Benghazi in clashes with militants after the army took control of a crucial area in the city, a military source said on Friday.

    The army took control of Ganfouda District recently, an area known as “12 blocks’’ that used to be a haven for militants in Benghazi.

    The Libyan army, led by Maj.-Gen. Khalifa Haftar had been waging war for more than two years against militant groups in Benghazi, a military operation Haftar referred to as “Dignity’’.

    In spite of ground success, the army still does not have full control of the city.

    An Army Spokesman said the area had been secured on Thursday, revealing that the air forces targeted militant positions.

    The spokesman said that the troops were still making progress on the ground, and the army took over heavy artillery and tanks the militants left behind.

    Libya has been suffering from insecurity and violence since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The country is plagued with political division and unrest.

  • Libyan force suspects rival in Italian embassy bomb

    Libyan force suspects rival in Italian embassy bomb

    A counter-terrorism unit in the Libyan capital Tripoli said it suspected Saturday’s car bomb near the recently reopened Italian embassy was planted by backers of the “powerful” Libyan National Army (LNA) based in the eastern part of the divided country.

    The blast occurred in central Tripoli about 350 metres from the Italian embassy.

    The bodies of two men were recovered from the wreckage of the car.

    Tripoli’s Special Deterrence Forces said in a statement on Thursday that the men had been trying to target the embassy, but had been prevented from parking their car near the embassy compound’s walls.

    Tripoli is home to myriad of armed groups with shifting and conflicting loyalties.

    In 2014 fighting between armed alliances backing opposing political factions resulted in rival governments being set up in Tripoli and the east.

    Since March 2016, a third U.N.-backed government has been trying to establish itself in the capital, but it has been unable to win support from groups in the east aligned with the government there and with the eastern-based LNA.

    The LNA has made significant gains over the past year in its “Operation Dignity” campaign against Islamist-led opponents in the eastern city of Benghazi, and has pushed west to control key oil facilities.

    It has said it is preparing to “liberate” Tripoli.

    Many doubt it has the capacity to do so, but the claim has led to speculation that it is trying to lay the ground for a military takeover.

    The deterrence forces said: “according to the investigations the perpetrators of the terrorist act are connected with what is known as Operation Dignity, but it’s still unclear if it was an individual act or on Operation Dignity’s orders.

    “This terrorist act is a result of political conflict between east and west and aims to show the capital as unsafe.”

    It gave the names of the two suspects whose bodies had been found in the car, naming a third suspect who it said was still at large.

    There was no immediate response from eastern officials.

  • FG warns Nigerian migrants to avoid Libya

    FG warns Nigerian migrants to avoid Libya

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa has warned Nigerian migrants to avoid Libya.

    Dabiri-Erewa also warned against illegal entry to Libya, noting that such immigrants to the country when caught and convicted were placed on death penalty.

    The Presidential aide said this in a statement made available to the newsmen in Abuja on Monday.

    She was reacting to a video and pictures being circulated on the purported killing of black immigrants in Libya.

    “While the authenticity of the pictures and tapes in question cannot be verified, it is a known fact that Libya has been executing alleged black illegal immigrants for years.

    “As the chairman Committee on Diaspora in the House of Representatives in the Seventh Assembly, we intervened in the case of 24 Nigerians about to be killed in Libya.

    “The committee, in collaboration with SERAP, an NGO, petitioned the UN, AU, ECOWAS, and Ghadaffi yielded to pressure and released them,” she said.

    She said that about two months ago, NEMA alongside the Nigerian Embassy in Libya, evacuated more than 2000 Nigerians from Libya.

    According to her, the Nigerian Embassy in Libya, in collaboration with NEMA have relentlessly intervened in cases involving Nigerians in trouble in Libya and will continue to do so.

    Dabiri-Erewa said “Libyans are dealing with their own struggles as there is no recognised government in place’’.

  • Libyan plane hijacked, diverted to Malta

    Libyan plane hijacked, diverted to Malta

    A Libyan domestic flight carrying 118 people has landed at Malta International Airport after being hijacked.

    BBC reports that the Airbus A320 operated by Afriqiyah Airways was flying inside Libya when it was diverted.

    There were two hijackers involved, who threatened to blow up the plane, according to initial reports.

    Maltese Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat, said that security forces were standing by at the airport.

    The deputy mayor for Lija in Malta, Madga Magri Naudi, told the BBC the hijackers had yet to make demands.

    She said: “The request has not been made. This is a problem: we do not know what their requests are at the moment.”

    Darrin Zammit Lupi, a Reuters news agency photographer based in Malta, told the BBC he could see a number of soldiers and special forces vehicles at the scene.

    Ms Magri Naudi said paramedics and soldiers were standing by to see “what the next step is”.

    A special committee meeting was taking place to address the situation, she added.

    In the meantime, Malta International Airport has been closed and all flights have been diverted.

    The airport said emergency teams had been dispatched.

  • 140 Nigerians deported from Libya 

    140 Nigerians deported from Libya 

    One hundred and forty Nigerians were yesterday deported from Libya for immigration and sundry offences.
    The deportees were  flown in a chartered aircraft that  landed at the cargo section of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
    According to immigration sources, 74 of the deportees are adult females, 52 adult males, three infants and six unaccompanied persons .
    The source said the return of the deportees was facilitated by the cooperation between Nigeria and the International Office of Migration ( IOM).
    Some of the deportees narrated their  ordeal in Libya, and expressed mixed feelings on their return.
    On arrival,  the deportees were documented by relevant security agencies before they were ferried out of the airport by buses provided by emergency relief organisations.

  • Nigeria, Libya output to push down oil price

    Nigeria, Libya output to push down oil price

    Oil production from members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) may have reached a new record, according to a Reuters survey, as Nigerian and Libyan output partially recovered from disruptions and Iraq boosted exports.

    The report noted that the increasing output could counter OPEC’s ability to seal the Algiers Accord, an agreement reached in Algiers, Algeria in September by the cabal to cut supplies and boost price. Oil price rallied to a 2016 high of $54 a barrel following the decision, but has since slipped towards $48 a barrel.

    Supply from OPEC rose to 33.82 million barrels per day (bpd) in October from a revised 33.69 million bpd in September, according to the survey based on shipping data and information from industry sources.

    That would be 820,000 bpd above the top end of a target output range OPEC agreed to adopt at a September 28 meeting in Algeria. According to analysts, production at about 34 million bpd would prolong the supply surplus weighing on the market.

    “With OPEC production creeping up towards 34 million barrels a day, a production freeze guarantees that the oil market will remain out of balance throughout 2017 and into 2018,” said David Hufton of oil broker PVM.

    Meanwhile, a Nigerian militant group threatened on Monday to step up attacks on oil facilities in the Niger Delta if the President pursues a military campaign, casting a shadow over peace talks between the government and groups due to start today.