150 stranded Nigerian girls in Lebanon to be evacuated

No fewer than 150 Nigerians girls trafficked and stranded in Lebanon are to be evacuated to Nigeria in August.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, (NIDCOM) Media, Public Relations and Protocol Unit, Mr. Gabriel Odu, made this known in a statement.

The Lebanese Ambassador to Nigeria Mr. Houssam Diab disclosed the evacuation plans when the Management of NIDCOM, led by the Secretary Egnr. Dr Sule Yakubu Bassi visited the Embassy in Abuja.

Ambassador Diab stated that the 150 girls would be returned home in batches.

According to him, the first batch of 110 girls would depart Beirut, Lebanon on 12th, August 2020 to Lagos while the Second Batch will be returning to Abuja on 16th, August 2020.

The statement gave the breakdown of the stranded Nigerian girls as: Oyo state (41), Ogun (21), Lagos (12), Ondo (18), Osun (26), Imo (3), Kwara (9), Enugu (1), Ekiti (6), Kogi (1), Edo (1), Delta (3), Ebonyi (1), Benue (1), Abia (1)Akwa Ibom (1)and Anambra (1_.

He commended the efforts of the Lebanese Community and the Oyo State government for sponsoring the return of 55 of the girls.

The Secretary to Nigerians in Diaspora Commission Dr Sule Yakubi Bassi applauded the dedication and commitment of Nigerian Ambassador to Lebanon Amb. Goni Madu Zanna Bura, Mission staff, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Oyo and Ogun State Governments, and other strategic partners.