Rescued Libya Returnee Warns Nigerian Youths: “Do Not Travel Through Dangerous Routes”
A Nigerian returnee from Libya, Mercy Oluwagbenga, has issued a passionate warning to young Nigerians never to embark on irregular migration, describing her harrowing ordeal as modern-day slavery.
“Whatever your situation, do not travel through dangerous routes,” Mercy said after being received in Abuja by Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).
Mercy, a native of Kabba in Kogi State, dropped out of school in 2018 at 300 Level and was lured to Libya with promises of better opportunities to raise money for her sick mother. Instead, she said she endured one year and six months of forced labour without pay.
“I was maltreated, changed jobs several times, and at one point locked up in a house where my blood was drawn without my consent,” she recalled tearfully.
Trapped in exploitative conditions, Mercy said she eventually escaped into a camp before her rescue. She expressed gratitude to NIDCOM and Dr. Segun Abraham of Trinity Foundation for facilitating her return, but lamented losing her mother while still in captivity.
“I don’t want any young girl or boy to go through what I went through. Please don’t follow this route,” she pleaded, while appealing for support to complete her university education.
Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa praised Mercy’s courage, stressing that she was “one of the lucky ones” to return alive.
“Many others have perished in the desert, drowned in the Mediterranean, or remain untraceable. Irregular migration is voluntary suicide,” Dabiri-Erewa warned.
She assured that NIDCOM will assist Mercy with full rehabilitation and continue to work with stakeholders to combat human trafficking and unsafe migration. She also commended President Bola Tinubu for introducing NELFUND, which she said will give young Nigerians opportunities to complete their education rather than seek illegal routes abroad.
