ATHLETES ARRIVING OFF PLANE; HELICOPTER LANDING AND COLONEL GOWON LEAVING IT TO GREET THE ATHLETES; ATHLETE WEARING MEDALS; COLONEL GOWON SHAKING HANDS WITH ATHLETES.




Initials RM/VS/MR/GLH



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Background: THE NIGERIAN TEAM AT THIS YEAR'S COMMONWEALTH GAMES IN JAMAICA WERE WELCOMED AS HEROS ON THEIR RETURN TO LAGOS YESTERDAY (WEDNESDAY). THE HEAD OF THE NATIONAL MILITARY COUNCIL RULING NIGERIA, COLONEL YAKUBU GOWON, WAS AMONG OFFICIALS AT LAGOS' IKEJA AIRPORT TO MEET THE 28 ATHLETES, WAS BROUGHT BACK 10 MEDALS - THREE GOLD, FOUR SILVER, AND THREE BRONZE.

THE LEADER OF THE NIGERIAN CONTINGENT TO THE GAMES, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL OKWECHIME, DID NOT RETURN WITH THE TEAM. HE IS REMAINING BEHIND IN KINGSTON TO REPRESENT NIGERIA AT A SERIES OF MEETINGS OF TEAM LEADERS, WHO WILL ANALYSE THE ORGANISATION OF THE GAMES AND CONSIDER PLANS FOR FUTURE GAMES. THE RETURNING ATHLETES TOOK PART IN A 14-MILE TRIUMPHAL DRIVE FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE LAGOS CITY STADIUM, AND LATER ATTENDED A STATE RECEPTION.