…As Over 1,500 bodies uncovered in mass grave in Syria’s Raqqa***
Not fewer than 141 Nigerians including, 11 pregnant women ‘voluntarily’ returned from Libya to Nigeria Tuesday night, with the assistance of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the European Union (EU).
It could not be confirmed if all the 11 left the country as pregnant persons, as some insisted that some actually took in while some, hitherto pregnant have delivered, as part of the unbecoming experience they found while in the North African country.
The Chief Planning Officer, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Segun Afolayan who today confirmed their arrival in Lagos, also noted that they arrived at the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos, at about 10.45pm on Tuesday aboard a chartered Al-Buraq aircraft with registration number UZ189.
“After profiling, we have 71 female adults, three female children and three female infants”, indicated Afolayan, saying there were also 53 male adults.
“Also, there were 53 male adults, six male children and five male infants; among them were two medical cases and 11 pregnant women.”
According to him, majority of the returnees are from Tripoli, the capital of Libya which has become volatile in recent times.
Afolayan advised the returnees to become more focused in life and not allow the unfortunate experience to negatively impact on their lives.
“Truly, you had bad experiences differently, collectively and individually but these should be the motivation for you to make positive decision to see the brighter future ahead of you.
“This is because, no one can tell the story more than you and making better use of your lives are essential.
“The Federal Government is urging you to be ambassadors of positive change by taking the anti-irregular migration campaign to those still aspiring to take the dangerous journey.
“You can talk to them in the language they will understand most,’’ he added.
In the meantime, over 1,500 bodies of civilians were found in a newly-discovered mass grave in Syria’s northern province of Raqqa, former de facto capital of the IS, al-Watan newspaper quotes medical sources as saying on Wednesday.
Citing medical sources, the newspaper said the bodies belong to civilians killed by the strikes of the U.S.-led coalition on Raqqa.
It said the bodies of 4,000 civilians have so far appeared in mass graves in Raqqa, adding that more bodies are being unearthed on daily basis.
The U.S.-led coalition had supported the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in their push to capture Raqqa, which was the de facto capital of the IS, in 2017.
The report said the coalition’s airstrikes in Raqqa had destroyed 85 per cent of the provincial capital also known asf Raqqa.
