We warned Nigerians not to go to Libya - Abike Dabiri-Erewa

chika ebuzor

December 1, 2017 8:04 PM

This is following the global outrage over a CNN report that exposed an underground slave market where young Africans are sold.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Affairs has revealed that the office of Foreign Affairs issued warnings to Nigerians not to go to Libya.

Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels TV program, the presidential aide also wondered why Nigerians take a lot of risk to go abroad for greener pastures.

Dabiri-Erewa said “NEMA, my office, IOM told Nigerians that avoid Libya, it is deadly, it is dangerous, don’t go there. Also on the news, you have cases of Nigerians being brought back from Libya on a regular basis. So Nigeria has been bringing back its citizens from Libya.

“You can imagine the dangerous journey. Walking about 3,000kilometers that’s flying for about three hours if you are going to Europe. This might be attributed to poverty. Yes, the government must do the needful by creating enabling environment and jobs but it goes beyond that. What do you say of a mother who sells her land and pays off $4,000 for her daughter to go to Europe?”

“We should look at the family value and the systems. For every person who goes on that journey, a trafficker is being empowered, a trafficker is getting richer,” she added.

ALSO READ: A Nigerian migrant sells for N145,000 in Libyan slave market

Tales of hell in Libya slave camp

According to AFP, survivors of slave auctions in Libya have described as hell,their experience in Libya’s underground slave camp.

Moussa Sanogo, a migrant who flew back to Ivory Coast after spending four months in Libya, revealed that they were beaten regularly, and forced to work in the fields.

"For the Arabs (Libyan jailers), black-skinned men are nothing but animals -- animals were treated better," Sanogo said.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Senate on Wednesday, November 29, 2017, called on the Federal Government to summon Libyan Ambassador to answer questions concerning reports of slave trade.

chika ebuzor