The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has advised Nigerians seeking to relocate abroad against illegal migration, describing such journeys as voluntary suicide missions.
The chairman and ceo of the commission, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, gave the advice on wednesday in Abuja when she received Miss Mercy Oluwabanga, a 24-year-old woman who was rescued from Libya.
Oluwabanga had reportedly sent a viral video seeking the help of Dabiri-Erewa for her rescue from Libya. NiDCOM, the president of the Nigerian Community in Libya, and Dr Segun Abraham, the founder of Trinity Foundation, collaborated to rescue her.
Oluwabanga, a business administration student who dropped out of the University of Ilorin in 2018, reportedly left Nigeria in December 2021 through illegal routes for Libya. There, she faced extreme hardship from her employers, who frequently threatened her and failed to pay for her services.
When the maltreatment from her employers became unbearable Oluwabanga made a distress video call to Dabiri-Erewa.
After listening to the ordeal of Oluwabanga in Libya, the NiDCOM chairman warned against illegal migration, describing it as route to slavery.
Dabiri-Erewa welcomed Oluwabanga back home and expressed gratitude to God that the former student of business administration of the University of Ilorin was in Nigeria safe and well.
According to her, many others were not that lucky to be rescued.
“Yours was because you had already escaped to a private camp and we were able to locate you.
“This should be a point of reference to learn from because going to Libya is voluntary suicide and you will be sold into slavery,” she said.
The NiDCOM chairman said that Oluwabanga’s desire was to go back to school and assured that the commission would assist her benefit from the NELFUND scheme to further her education and make meaning of her life.
Oluwabanga appreciated the Federal Government for the swift response to her distress call through NiDCOM, the Trinity Foundation and the President of the Nigerian Community in Libya.
She promised to join the advocacy against illegal migration to help dissuade Nigerians seeking to engage in such fruitless journeys.
