“Whatever your situation, do not travel through dangerous routes,” these were the words of Mercy Oluwagbenga, the young Nigerian girl recently rescued from Libya after a viral video showed her crying out for help.
Mercy, who was received by Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), narrated her ordeal and appealed to other young Nigerians never to embark on irregular migration.
According to her, she had dropped out of school at the age of 20 years and was lured to Libya with the promise of greener pastures to enable her raise money to care for her sick mother. Instead, she found herself trapped in modern-day slavery.
“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 recalled tearfully.
Mercy, an indigene of Kabba in Kogi state, lamented that Nigerians in her situation were “treated like animals,” stressing that she was lucky to have escaped into a camp. 
In a statement released by the Commission, she expressed deep appreciation to Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and NIDCOM and Dr Segun Abraham of Trinity foundation for facilitating her safe return.
“I don’t want any young girl or boy to go through what I went through. Please don’t follow this route,” Mercy pleaded, as she pledged to work with NIDCOM to raise awareness against irregular migration.
Lamenting the loss of her sick mother while in Libya, she pleaded assistance for her to return to school which she abandoned since 2018 at 300 Level.
In her remarks, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa commended Mercy for her courage and survival, describing her as “one of the lucky ones,” noting that many others have died in the desert or the Mediterranean Sea, while some remain untraceable.
The NIDCOM boss reiterated that irregular migration amounts to “voluntary suicide” and cautioned Nigerian youths to always seek safe and legal channels for travel.
She thanked Dr. Segun Abraham, whose financial support made the repatriation possible.
Dabiri-Erewa further assured that NIDCOM will facilitate her full rehabilitation and continue to work with partners and stakeholders to protect Nigerians, while stepping up advocacy to curb the menace of human trafficking and irregular migration.
She commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for introducing NELFUND, which will provide opportunities for Nigerians like Mercy to complete her education rather than drop out for lack of funds.
