258 Nigerians deported from Libya return home, some in pain

LAGOS, Nigeria – Authorities say hundreds of Nigerians deported from Libya have arrived back home, including one who sustained a gunshot wound.

The deputy director of the National Emergency Management Agency, Bandele Onimode, says some of the 258 returnees are suffering from depression and malnutrition. Four children and an infant were among the group that arrived in Lagos late Thursday.

This is the second time in less than a month that hundreds of deportees have been brought back to Nigeria from Libya.

The North African nation is a major transit route used by human traffickers to smuggle Africans to Europe. Aid groups have expressed alarm at reported abuses along the way.

Thousands of Africans have lost their lives attempting passage to Europe. Many lack the money to return home if their efforts fail.