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

By Henry Umoru, ABUJA

The Senate yesterday raised the alarm over what it described as persistent human rights abuses suffered by Nigerian migrants in Libya.

The Senate, against this backdrop, has urged the Federal Government to intensify the repatriation and reintegration of Nigerians stranded in Libya while also launching a national awareness campaign to discourage irregular migration to conflict zones.

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

The Senate has also mandated a joint investigation by the Committees on Diaspora Affairs, Judiciary, Human Rights, and Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with NAPTIP, to probe the role of trafficking networks and unlicensed travel agents and evaluate the effectiveness of border and immigration controls.

The Senate called on the Federal Government, through NAPTIP, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and relevant state governments, to establish a comprehensive reintegration plan for returnees, just saying that the programme should include psychosocial support, vocational training, and enterprise start-up grants to help them rebuild their lives.

The Senate urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intensify diplomatic efforts with Libyan authorities and to mobilise regional and international bodies—including the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, and the United Nations—to secure the safety of Nigerians still held in Libya and ensure perpetrators of human rights abuses are held accountable.

The Senate also called on the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to launch an urgent nationwide public sensitisation campaign, saying that it is aimed at educating citizens—especially youth—about the dangers of irregular migration and the harsh realities in countries like Libya.

Resolutions of the Senate yesterday were a sequel to a motion titled “Urgent Need to Protect Nigerians from Trafficking, Slavery, and Human Rights Abuses in 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 in Libyan detention centres, revealed that over 1,000 Nigerians were repatriated from Libya in the first quarter of 2025 alone, many of them survivors of torture, forced detention, sexual abuse, organ harvesting, and other inhumane practices.

According to him, there is the harrowing case of Mercy Olugbenga, a young woman who sold her family’s property and abandoned her university education in hopes of finding a better life abroad, only to be captured and held in Libya for over a year, during which her blood was repeatedly extracted against her will.

Seconding the motion, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, APC, Edo North, noted that it has become a recurring decimal in our national life.

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

According to her, many of these women had been sexually abused in prison and were raising their children in inhumane conditions.

Lawmakers across party lines expressed deep concern over the ongoing plight of Nigerians in Libya and the failure of deterrent mechanisms to stop illegal migration.

In his contribution, Senator Victor Umeh, LP, Anambra Central, condemned the treatment of Nigerian migrants in several African countries as “inhuman and unacceptable” and urged the African Union to enforce protocols that protect African citizens across the continent.

He said, “We cannot remain silent while our citizens are treated like animals in other African countries.

“We must leverage the AU to hold offending nations accountable.”

On his part, Senator Ned Nwoko, APC, Delta North, emphasised the need for proactive prevention, not just rescue operations, while some senators proposed very strict border screening for Nigerians attempting to travel to known conflict zones.

However, this sparked a brief debate over the potential conflict with citizens’ constitutional right to freedom of movement, and the proposal was eventually stepped down.

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