A young Nigerian rescued from Libya, Mercy Oluwagbenga, has shared her harrowing experience and urged youths not to embark on irregular migration in search of greener pastures.
Mercy’s account was contained in a statement on Wednesday by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abuja.
Mercy, who was received by NiDCOM Chairman/CEO, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, explained that she dropped out of school at the age of 20 and was lured to Libya with the promise of better opportunities to support her ailing mother
“For one year and six months, I worked without receiving a kobo, because I had to pay the Agent who took me to Libya the sum of about two and a half million naira. I was maltreated, I changed jobs, and at one point, locked up in a house where my blood was drawn without my consent,” she recounted tearfully.
Mercy lamented that Nigerians in her condition were “treated like animals” but expressed gratitude to NiDCOM and the Trinity Foundation for facilitating her safe return.
She also pledged to work with the commission to create awareness about the dangers of irregular migration.
Dabiri-Erewa commended Mercy’s courage and described her as “one of the lucky ones,” stressing that many migrants die in the desert or Mediterranean Sea.
She assured that NiDCOM will support her rehabilitation and continue advocacy against human trafficking, while noting that initiatives like President Bola Tinubu’s NELFUND scheme will help young Nigerians complete their education instead of seeking unsafe migration routes.
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