The Nigerian government has announced the repatriation of family members of Islamic State (ISIS) fighters killed in Libya. They were among 101 stranded Nigerians repatriated to the country from Libya.
According to a statement by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Head of Media, National Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), the evacuees arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport Abuja onboard an Air Force C-130 transport aircraft at 10:15 p.m. on Friday, August 13.
According to the commission, the stranded Nigerians included 22 family members of suspected former members of ISIS that were killed in Libya as well as their children.
It added that they were received by officials of the ministry of foreign affairs; NIDCOM; Nigeria Centre for Disease Control; the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency; the National Emergency Management Agency; the Department of State Services; the Nigerian Immigration Service and Port Health.
The Nigerian Government has frequently facilitated the return of Nigerians in Libya, particularly those stuck after attempting to cross to Europe.
In March, another batch of stranded Nigerians in Libya arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja through a Buraq Air flight.
The instability in Libya after the killing of Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed 2011 revolution had an impact on insecurity, and growth of ISIS in the country.
In a documentary titled Libya’s shifting sands: Derna, a Libyan official, Al Saddiq Al Soor disclosed the engagement of foreign fighters including Nigerians and Boko Haram in the terror group.
HumAngle understands that the arrival of fighters and emissaries from Libya played a significant role in oiling the wheels of the internal dynamics and shaping ISWAP, one of the most potent ISIS affiliates and terror groups in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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