One hundred and sixty Nigerians who were stranded in the United States following the COVID-19 lockdown have returned to the country.

A plane carrying the returnees arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, on Sunday.

The Boeing 787 Ethiopian Airlines plane touched down at the airport in the Federal Capital Territory at about 11:00am, hours after departing New York.

This comes as the Federal Government commences the evacuation of hundreds of stranded Nigerians willing to return home from various countries.

According to an earlier update by the government, a total of 160 Nigerians are expected back in the country on Sunday morning.

They comprise 92 male, 60 females, and eight infants.

Meanwhile, the government stationed five luxury buses and a coaster bus at the airport to move the returnees to isolation centres as soon as they disembarked from the plane.

The exercise was conducted by the health and airport officials among others on the ground to receive the returning travellers.