TheCable

The federal government has announced that 22 family members of slain Islamic state of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters have been repatriated to Abuja.

According to a statement by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, spokesman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), they were among 101 stranded Nigerians repatriated from Libya.

The statement said 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 stranded Nigerians include the 22 family members of suspected former members of ISIS that were killed in Libya as well as their children,” the statement reads.

“All evacuees came with Negative PCR test for Covid- 19, and landed at exactly 10.15 pm at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport GAT wing, aboard Airforce C130.”

Libya has been engulfed by violent extremism since Muammar Gaddafi, the country’s strongman, was killed.

He was killed in October 2011 after being captured by rebels during Libya’s civil war. He had ruled Libya for four decades.

Since his death, Libya had fallen into turmoil, with two rival governments and their allied armed factions fighting for control of the country and its oil resources.

ISIS fighters are also scattered across the country.