LagosExplorer reports that Mercy Oluwagbenga, a 24-year-old University of Ilorin student, has become the latest face of Nigeria’s illegal migration crisis after being rescued from Libya where she endured months of exploitation and abuse.
Mercy, who left Nigeria in December 2021 after paying ₦2.5 million to an agent, revealed that she was forced into 18 months of unpaid labour and suffered constant maltreatment. Her harrowing ordeal ended only after she managed to escape into a private camp, where she was later rescued through the intervention of NiDCOM, the Nigerian community in Libya, and the Trinity Foundation.
Speaking in Abuja as she welcomed Mercy back, NiDCOM chairperson Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa issued a stern caution to Nigerians, stressing that those who embark on such journeys are risking certain death. “Going to Libya is voluntary suicide. Many of them are sold into slavery, many perish in the Sahara desert or drown in the Mediterranean,” she warned.
Dabiri-Erewa emphasized that Mercy’s survival was a rare exception in a deadly trend that has claimed countless Nigerian lives. She appealed to young Nigerians not to be deceived by traffickers’ false promises of greener pastures abroad, noting that most victims never return to tell their stories.
The NiDCOM boss used the opportunity to highlight President Bola Tinubu’s National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which she described as a lifeline for students like Mercy. According to her, greater access to education and financial support will help curb the desperation that drives many youths into the arms of traffickers.
She also commended Dr. Segun Abraham of Trinity Foundation for his role in Mercy’s rescue and reaffirmed NiDCOM’s commitment to rehabilitating returnees who suffer physical and psychological trauma after such dangerous journeys.