542 Stranded Nigerians Return From Dubai
The Federal Government has brought back home a total of 542 Nigerians stranded in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as they arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on board a Maxair chartered flight early Sunday morning at 4:29 am.
The returnees, comprising 79 males, 460 females, and three infants, were received by a Federal Government team, led by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), airport officials, and security agencies.
Others include the National Commission for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Nigerian Correctional Service, the Nigerian Customs Service, Port Health Services, Nigeria Center For Disease Control (NCDC), and others.
On arrival, the returnees were screened by the health officials, profiled by various relevant agencies, and cleared by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) before being given a token as transport fare by NEMA and before leaving the airport.
Addressing the returnees, NEMA Director-General, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, who officially received them on behalf of the Federal Government, charged them to learn from their experiences and be law-abiding citizens, promoting economic growth and a positive image of Nigeria.
Ahmed, represented by the Director of Finance and Accounts, Sani Ahmed Jiba, said the Federal Government had approved the evacuation and provision of the token for the returnees to support their movement back homes.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Consul-General of Nigeria in Dubai, Ambassador Atinuke Taibat Mohammed, who accompanied the returnees on the same flight, appreciated the Federal Government for the special intervention in the safe evacuation of the stranded citizens back home.
