Senate asks FG to rescue citizens trapped in Libya, launch anti-trafficking campaign

The senate has urged the federal government to intensify the repatriation and reintegration of Nigerians stranded in Libya.

Lawmakers also implored to the launch a national campaign discouraging irregular migration to conflict zones.

The resolutions followed the unanimous adoption of a motion during Tuesday’s plenary titled ‘Urgent Need to Protect Nigerians from Trafficking, Slavery, and Human Rights Abuses in Libya’, sponsored by Aniekan Bassey, senator representing Akwa Ibom north-east.

Bassey raised concern over the worsening plight of Nigerians trapped in Libyan detention centres, revealing that more than 1,000 citizens were repatriated in the first quarter of 2025 — many of them survivors of torture, sexual violence, and organ harvesting.

He cited the case of Mercy Olugbenga, a young woman who sold her family’s property and abandoned her education in search of a better life, only to be held captive in Libya for over a year, during which “her blood was repeatedly extracted against her will”.

Following debate, the senate urged the federal government, through the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and state governments, to design a comprehensive reintegration plan for returnees.

Lawmakers said the programme should provide psychosocial support, vocational training, and start-up grants to enable survivors to rebuild their lives.

The upper chamber also urged the ministry of foreign affairs to strengthen diplomatic engagement with Libyan authorities and to collaborate with the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, and the United Nations to secure the release and safety of Nigerians still held in detention.

Anthony Ani, senator representing Ebonyi south, seconded the motion and described the situation as “a recurring decimal in our national life”.

He lamented the severe exploitation of victims and called for stronger institutional response to end the crisis.

Adams Oshiomhole, senator representing Edo north, expressed sympathy for the victims but emphasised the need for enlightenment.

“We have a duty, through the National Orientation Agency or any other body, to educate our people. After Gaddafi’s fall, Libya is no longer what it used to be,” he said.

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi central, moved an additional prayer urging the Nigerian Immigration Service and the Nigerian Correctional Service to work with Libyan authorities to repatriate Nigerian women and children born in detention.

“These women were victims twice over—first of traffickers, then of a broken system. Their children, born behind bars, must not suffer for crimes they did not commit,” she said.

Victor Umeh, senator representing Anambra central, condemned the inhumane treatment of Nigerians across some African countries, describing it as a betrayal of the continent’s unity.

He urged the federal government and the AU to act decisively to protect citizens abroad.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged young Nigerians to avoid dangerous migration routes, saying many who leave the country in search of greener pastures only encounter suffering.

“Home is home. Let us build our nation together, for there is no greater pride than being safe and free in one’s homeland,” Akpabio said.