RESCUED LIBYA RETURNEE WARNS NIGERIAN YOUTHS AGAINST IRREGULAR MIGRATION
Read Time:2 Minute, 5 Second
By Aishat Momoh. O.
A Nigerian returnee from Libya, Mercy Oluwagbenga, has urged young Nigerians not to embark on irregular migration through dangerous routes, warning that the journey often leads to slavery, abuse, or even death.
Mercy, who was recently rescued after a viral video showed her crying out for help, narrated her ordeal during a meeting with the Chairman/CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in Abuja.
The 25-year-old from Kabba, Kogi State, said she dropped out of school at age 20 and was lured to Libya with promises of better opportunities to raise money for her sick mother. Instead, she was subjected to forced labour and exploitation.
“For one year and six months, I worked without receiving a kobo, because I had to pay the agent who took me to Libya about two and a half million naira. I was maltreated, forced to change jobs, and at one point, locked up in a house where my blood was drawn without consent,” she recounted.
She lamented that many Nigerians in her situation were “treated like animals” and stressed that she was lucky to have escaped into a camp before her rescue.
Mercy expressed gratitude to NIDCOM and philanthropist Dr. Segun Abraham of Trinity Foundation for facilitating her safe return. She also appealed for assistance to continue her education, which she abandoned in 2018 at 300 Level, after losing her mother while still in Libya.
In her remarks, Dabiri-Erewa praised Mercy’s resilience, describing her as “one of the lucky ones,” noting that many others die in the desert or Mediterranean Sea, while some remain untraceable.
The NIDCOM boss reiterated that irregular migration amounts to “voluntary suicide” and urged Nigerian youths to seek safe and legal travel opportunities. She also assured that Mercy would be rehabilitated and reintegrated with support from NIDCOM and its partners.
Dabiri-Erewa further commended President Bola Tinubu for introducing NELFUND, saying the scheme would help Nigerians like Mercy complete their education instead of dropping out due to financial constraints.
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