The Federal Government has begun consultations to repatriate Nigerians detained in prisons and migrant camps across Libya, amid mounting outrage over reports of abuse, trafficking, and inhumane treatment in the North African country.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed to Saturday PUNCH that talks were under way to secure the release and safe return of affected citizens.
“We are engaging relevant stakeholders to bring back Nigerians currently detained in deportation centres and prisons,” he said, warning job seekers to beware of fraudulent overseas offers that lure victims into dangerous migration routes.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said it was also working with other agencies to coordinate the repatriations. Its spokesperson, Manzo Ezekiel, noted that hundreds of Nigerians had already been evacuated from Libya this year but cautioned that “repatriation alone cannot solve the problem.”
“The real issue lies in the lack of awareness and misinformation that drive many young Nigerians to take these perilous journeys,” Ezekiel said. “We must invest in public enlightenment to discourage unsafe migration.”
The government’s renewed efforts follow a heated debate in the Senate earlier in the week, where lawmakers condemned what they described as “modern-day slavery” faced by Nigerians — particularly women and children — trapped in Libyan detention centres.
Senators Asuquo Ekpenyong and Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan led the call for urgent diplomatic action, while Senator Aniekan Bassey (Cross River South), who moved the motion, described Libya as a “corridor of death and despair.”
Bassey cited reports showing that about 1,000 Nigerians were repatriated from Libya in the first quarter of 2025, yet many remain stranded and at risk of violence.
Amnesty International and the International Organisation for Migration have documented widespread rape, torture, and arbitrary killings in both state-run and militia-controlled facilities in Libya, where migrants attempting to reach Europe are often intercepted and detained indefinitely.
The Senate’s resolution, unanimously adopted, urged the Federal Government to design a comprehensive reintegration plan for returnees, including psychosocial support, vocational training, and startup aid to help them rebuild their lives.
It also called for deeper diplomatic engagement with Libyan authorities, and stronger collaboration with the African Union, ECOWAS, and the United Nations to ensure justice and protection for detained Nigerians.
Libya has for years served as a volatile transit route for African migrants seeking passage to Europe, with thousands trapped in a network of overcrowded detention centres plagued by abuse and exploitation.
While the latest repatriation plans mark a renewed government commitment, rights groups warn that unless Nigeria tackles the root causes — poverty, trafficking networks, and lack of opportunity — the cycle of desperation and return is likely to continue.
