The Federal Government has once again cautioned Nigerians against embarking on illegal journeys to Libya, describing the North African country as a “death trap” and warning that it offers no viable route to Europe.
Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, issued the warning while expressing concern over the increasing number of Nigerians falling victim to human trafficking and ending up in detention camps across Libya.
Despite numerous awareness campaigns and repeated evacuation efforts, Dabiri-Erewa said many Nigerians continue to pay traffickers large sums of money, believing they can cross into Europe through Libya.
“This year alone, over 5,000 Nigerians have been brought back from Libya through the efforts of the Refugee Commission and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM),” she said. “But unfortunately, many are still going, despite being warned repeatedly.”
She described the ongoing trend as a vicious cycle, noting that traffickers often extort as much as N1.5 million from desperate individuals, promising to help them migrate illegally via dangerous desert routes and war-torn Libyan territory.
“These people you see making distress calls paid someone to take them there,” she said. “They sell all they have, pay traffickers, and end up in places worse than where they are running from. Libya is not an escape route; it is a trap.”
Dabiri-Erewa explained that the Federal Government continues to carry out rescue operations through a multi-agency collaboration coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), alongside the IOM. However, she warned that such missions carry serious security risks.
“Libya is a lawless state with no central government to negotiate with. Rebel factions control territories, and even accessing some detention camps requires clearance from armed groups,” she noted.
She called for the arrest and prosecution of human traffickers, stressing that they must be named and shamed.
“These are criminals who feed fat on people’s misery,” she added.