An investigation has been launched by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission into the alleged detention of Nigerians in an unknown prison in Libya after their appeal to the Federal Government for assistance.
Hundreds of women, including children, were locked inside a compound in a viral video observed by our correspondent on Tuesday, shouting ‘Freedom!’ at the top of their voices.
The video footage showed a child with a swollen stomach, which was suspected to be as a result of malnutrition. Women, including an elderly man, expressed their dissatisfaction with the child’s condition.
A woman protesting claimed that many nationals from other countries had fled the area, noting that they had only stayed behind to avoid tarnishing Nigeria’s reputation.
She warned that if the Federal Government didn’t fulfill their demands, they would force their way out of the facility.
“Look at where we are sleeping. We are suffering. We want freedom. We need your help, or else we will bust this place. All other nationals are running away, but we, Nigerians, stay calm; we are doing so just because we want to protect our name, we want to protect our country.
“If you won’t take any steps, we are going to take steps with our own hands. We need freedom,” the protester warned.
The Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols at NiDCOM, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, announced that the commission would investigate the matter and expressed his disappointment that Nigerians ignored repeated warnings against traveling to Libya even after being cautioned.
The statement partly read, “Over 10,000 Nigerians were evacuated from Libya a few years ago, based on a memo by Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, approved by the then President, and a coalition of multi-agency teams set up to evacuate all Nigerians stranded in Libya.
“For the umpteenth time, there was a clear warning by Dabiri-Erewa to Nigerians to desist from that dangerous path. But the warning was not yielded to.
“In the last couple of months, more Nigerians have been brought back from Libya, thanks to the efforts of the International Organisation for Migration in Nigeria, which has been regularly evacuating Nigerians stranded in Libya back home.
The commission and other partners worked together to expel around 679 Nigerians who were stranded in the United Arab Emirates and Libya in 2022.
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