Senate moves to curb human trafficking, rights abuses against Nigerians in Libya

By Henry Umoru, ABUJA

The Senate yesterday raised the alarm implicit what it described arsenic persistent quality rights abuses suffered by Nigerian migrants successful Libya.

The Senate, against this backdrop, has urged the Federal Government to intensify the repatriation and reintegration of Nigerians stranded successful Libya portion besides launching a nationalist consciousness run to discourage irregular migration to struggle zones.

The Upper Chamber has resolved to instrumentality contiguous legislative and diplomatic actions to combat trafficking, modern-day slavery, and exploitation.

The Senate has besides mandated a associated probe by the Committees connected Diaspora Affairs, Judiciary, Human Rights, and Foreign Affairs, successful collaboration with NAPTIP, to probe the relation of trafficking networks and unlicensed question agents and measure the effectiveness of borderline and migration controls.

The Senate called connected the Federal Government, done NAPTIP, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and applicable authorities governments, to found a broad reintegration program for returnees, conscionable saying that the programme should see psychosocial support, vocational training, and endeavor start-up grants to assistance them rebuild their lives.

The Senate urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intensify diplomatic efforts with Libyan authorities and to mobilise determination and planetary bodies—including the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, and the United Nations—to unafraid the information of Nigerians inactive held successful Libya and guarantee perpetrators of quality rights abuses are held accountable.

The Senate besides called connected the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to motorboat an urgent nationwide nationalist sensitisation campaign, saying that it is aimed astatine educating citizens—especially youth—about the dangers of irregular migration and the harsh realities successful countries similar Libya.

Resolutions of the Senate yesterday were a sequel to a question titled “Urgent Need to Protect Nigerians from Trafficking, Slavery, and Human Rights Abuses successful Libya.”

It was sponsored by Senator Aniekan Bassey, APC, Akwa Ibom North-East.

In his presentation, Senator Bassey, who decried the worsening plight of Nigerians trapped successful Libyan detention centres, revealed that implicit 1,000 Nigerians were repatriated from Libya successful the archetypal 4th of 2025 alone, galore of them survivors of torture, forced detention, intersexual abuse, organ harvesting, and different inhumane practices.

According to him, determination is the harrowing lawsuit of Mercy Olugbenga, a young pistillate who sold her family’s spot and abandoned her assemblage acquisition successful hopes of uncovering a amended beingness abroad, lone to beryllium captured and held successful Libya for implicit a year, during which her humor was repeatedly extracted against her will.

Seconding the motion, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, APC, Edo North, noted that it has go a recurring decimal successful our nationalist life.

In her contribution, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, PDP, Kogi Central, further moved to adhd to the prayers that the Nigerian Immigration and Prison Services liaise with their Libyan counterparts to facilitate the repatriation of Nigerian women who gave commencement portion successful detention.

According to her, galore of these women had been sexually abused successful situation and were raising their children successful inhumane conditions.

Lawmakers crossed enactment lines expressed heavy interest implicit the ongoing plight of Nigerians successful Libya and the nonaccomplishment of deterrent mechanisms to halt amerciable migration.

In his contribution, Senator Victor Umeh, LP, Anambra Central, condemned the attraction of Nigerian migrants successful respective African countries arsenic “inhuman and unacceptable” and urged the African Union to enforce protocols that support African citizens crossed the continent.

He said, “We cannot stay soundless portion our citizens are treated similar animals successful different African countries.

“We indispensable leverage the AU to clasp offending nations accountable.”

On his part, Senator Ned Nwoko, APC, Delta North, emphasised the request for proactive prevention, not conscionable rescue operations, portion immoderate senators projected precise strict borderline screening for Nigerians attempting to question to known struggle zones.

However, this sparked a little statement implicit the imaginable struggle with citizens’ law close to state of movement, and the connection was yet stepped down.

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