Ending the long walk in the desert; A story of modern day slavery
I asked him why he decided to leave for Europe through the desert. He responded in the local Nigerian pidgin parlance: "I learn carpenter work for here, no body gree help me start up my own place, my oga pursue me, my people no gree help. My friend tell me say make I come make we commot this country, I no even know were we dey go until we reach desert and I no fit turn back again. Na only ghost I dey see for road. The thing wey I suffer for Libya nko? Two whole years! From one prison to another, from one slave master to another. My mouth no fit talk am."
Since February 2017, more than five thousand Nigerian migrants have been repatriated from Libya. These are our brothers and sisters who left the country mostly by road, hoping to get to Libya, and cross over to Europe through the Mediterranean. However, they got stuck. Several of them faced exploitation and abuse, some were sold into slavery, some were kept in prison for months, living on water and little or no food.
I covered the return of the batch of 143 Nigerians on Tuesday, December 5, 2017. I watched as one after the other women, men and children disembarked from the Libyan airplane. I watched as an ambulance came to pick a seriously ill returnee. I watched as some gave the sign of the cross, some kissed the floor, some knelt down and raised their hands in praise, some exhaled, some sang in praise, and some came out with tears of joy. I mean, Nigeria is a hard place to live in, and the hardship here is the reason why they decided to take a risky route to Europe. But to see these guys come back with so much gratitude and words of caution for others who may decide to do the same, it finally dawned on me the evil, the inhumane maltreatment and wickedness they must have passed through. I cringe when I think of the women and girls who unfortunately fell into the hands of the Libyan militia, kidnappers or even fellow wicked and money hungry Nigerians...yes, Nigerians! I spoke to one of the returnees and he told me that!
After CNN broke the story of a thriving slave trade in Libya, and the social media outcry that followed, my first instinct was "wetin dem go find there?" But see, I know say me I no get liver to try that desert journey, but I think these are just men and women who left to look for greener pastures, they may have gone through the wrong route but they could just have been repatriated! Not start a modern day slavery market! They were just desperate, there was nothing else for them to do in this country. They are as desperate as those people who live in Europe or America today after lying that they were only going to visit, have a baby, or for education. In fact, these returnees should lay a higher claim to integrity because from the onset, it was clear on why they were leaving. Nigeria is suffocating. There is no hope for most people. It gets worse from one government to the next.
Meanwhile, forget all the stories of those who must have crossed and made it, this journey is a dangerously risky one. It is not worth it. Europe must also have their own problems, let us stay here and face ours squarely. The issues here are mostly man-made which we can solve if we really want to, not the issues of natural disasters in Europe and America that the people have no means of solving or stopping.
To all the organisations and people who have extended a hand of help to these people, thank you. Nikki Laoye of National Commission of Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, you are doing a great job.
There is an online petition going on. It was started by Amara Kanu. You can sign by clicking on the link below.
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