How we were beaten, tortured, robbed, as 161 Nigerian returnees recount ordeal in Libya

*IOM, NEMA offer £50 to each returnee

*Synagogue Church offers assistance

It was a mixed feeling for 161 Nigerians that were voluntarily brought back from Tripoli, Libya. For most of them, the timely intervention of International Organisation of Migration (IOM) saved them from death as they relived their experiences.

For some of them, they would go back to the country; describing it as one that offered them ‘good’ life before everything went wrong.

Meanwhile, the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) sent buses to take them to his church for rehabilitation.

They were in high spirit as they hurriedly jumped into the waiting buses as they headed for Ikotun headquarters of the church.

They painted a chilly picture of their encounters in the hands of the Libyan Police whom they said picked them up in their various places of work, locked them up and starved them of food for over one month before they were yesterday brought back to the country via the Hajj Camp of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

They recounted how their homes were raised down by irate Immigration officials and police. They said many Nigerians are killed daily in the country, with some of them saying they go to church for thanksgiving to thank God for sparing their lives.

They vowed never to ever leave Nigeria again in search of the proverbial Golden Fleece. They pleaded that the Federal Government should speedily intervene to rescue over 350 Nigerians that are trapped in the country before they are killed by the mindless Immigration.

One of the returnees who simply gave her names as Maureen said she worked in a hair salon. She said the Libyan police in a gestapo manner invaded where she was working and whisked away to a detention camp.

She narrated her ordeal, saying the over N19, 000 that was in her possession was taken away from her, adding that she was put in a detention camp for over a month before they were eventually brought back.

She lauded IOM for providing them with clothes, food and stipend before and after they were brought back home.

Another returnee, Charles Iyem said he was working in a bakery when they arrested him.

“I was making good money working in a bakery when Libyan Immigration arrested me and said they wanted to deport me back to Nigeria. They said they were not looking for blacks. They took me to deportation camp where IOM now came to rescue us.”

He further said, “Our people are dying there. The Federal Government should do something to bring back more Nigerians in Libya. We don’t eat for days in camp and they will flog us so badly.”

They arrived aboard Nouvel Air A320 chartered aircraft at exactly 3.55pm. The 161 Nigerians comprised of 60 males, 101 females including children and infants. They were however given £50 by the IOM to take them to their homes.

The returnees were also given a meal of rice and chicken, water and drugs for those who were ill. One of them, a ten year old boy who had undergone surgery was immediately rushed to an undisclosed hospital for continuation of his medicals.

Head of Sub Office , IOM Lagos, Nahashon Thuo told reporters that this is the first set of returnees this years, adding that another batch of Nigerians would also return to the country next week from Libya. He added that five of such exercise was done last year, hinting that they usually prefer to bring in returnees in chartered flights than in commercial flights because it is cheaper to do so.

Thuo disclosed that the decision to bring them to the country was in conjunction with the Nigerian Embassy in Tripoli which he said facilitated documentation for them and to give them dignified return to their country.

The representative of the Director General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Dr. Onimode Bandele said few weeks ago, a video showing the torture of Nigerians in Tripoli went viral. The severity of the situation, he said, prompted government to contact IOM.

He said they swiftly moved to bring Nigerians willing to return home, stressing that they were happy to return home after what they went through in Libya.

Bandele stated that they was a severe case of a boy who had a fracture, saying he had been immediately taken to a hospital for the continuation of treatment, adding that another ulcer patient had since been taken to the hospital immediately they returned.

Wole Shadare