The Nigerian Mission in Libya on Tuesday facilitated the release of forty Nigerian irregular migrants from the Bir Al-Ghanam detention facility in Libya.

The illegal migrants had been in detention for two months. Among them are 34 females and six males who were detained at Bir Al-Ghanam detention facility that is about 150 miles away from Tripoli, the capital city.

“It was discovered that most of them were lured into travelling to Libya for greener pasture by their would-be traffickers but they ended up under exploitation and enforced labour,” said Ambassador Kabiru Musa, Charge D’Affaires En Titre of the Nigerian Mission in Libya disclosed this in a statement made available to reporters on Wednesday in Abuja.

Mr Musa mentioned that the released Nigerian nationals will continue to be catered for by the Mission until they are repatriated.

He said that he admonished them on the need to return home, never to embark on such a perilous journey again, and also warn their compatriots back home on the dangers of irregular migration.

The envoy also encouraged the victims to be willing to give information about their traffickers and agents in Nigeria as well as in Libya so that they can be arrested and punished for their crime against humanity.

“In the meantime, the mission will continue to cater for their needs including feeding, accommodation, clothing and medicals until they can be repatriated home through the International Organisation for Migration (IOM),” Mr Musa said.

The federal government taking cognizance of Libya as a transit route for human trafficking have been engaging with the IOM and Libya authorities to end the menace of irregular migration.

The federal government has also pledged to ensure that none of its citizens is left stranded in Libya, with several evacuation exercises in collaboration with IOM to repatriate stranded Nigerians. 

(NAN)