By Chimezie Godfrey
The Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Sadiya Farouq has said that 198 Nigerians, who were stranded in Lebanon have returned home.
According to the Minister, the Ministry along with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) received the returnees on Wednesday 12th and Thursday 13thAugust, 2020.
In a statement on Friday, the Minister also revealed that there are 5000 Nigerian girls who are stranded in Lebanon.
“A total of 198 Nigerians that were hitherto stranded in Lebanon have regained their freedom and have returned home.
‘’There are about 5000 Nigerian girls stranded in Lebanon who have been lured there for domestic servitude out of which the Nigerian Embassy has completed documentation of 256 that are willing to return home.
“The Ministry and relevant Agencies under its supervision remain committed to ensuring the safe return of Nigerians stranded in Lebanon and other Countries,”she stated.
The Minister added that distress calls have been received from Nigerian girls stranded in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt and other parts of the Middle East.
She therefore called on Nigerians especially the young ones to refrain from allowing themselves to be enticed and lured to indignity through promises of a better life.
She encouraged them to rather take advantage of the various interventions that government has put in place to aid them in making the best of their lives within the shores of Nigeria adding that there is no place like home.
The Minister commended the effort of stakeholders like the Oyo State Government, IOM and the Lebanese community in Nigeria for supporting the safe return of those Nigerian citizens.
She stressed that the returnees will be profiled and provided with psychological support by NAPTIP.
