SENATOR BASSEY MOVES TO PROTECT NIGERIANS FROM SLAVERY, HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN LIBYA… Seeks Urgent National Action Against Trafficking, Torture, and Exploitation of Citizens Abroad

 

Senator Aniekan Bassey of the Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District and Chairman of the Senate Committee of Diaspora and NGOS has stirred the Nigerian Senate to urgent action through a motion on the “Urgent Need to Protect Nigerians from Trafficking, Slavery, and Human Rights Abuses in Libya.”

In his motion, Senator Bassey gave a grim picture of the horrors faced by Nigerian migrants in Libya, recounting the tragic ordeal of a young woman, Mercy Olugbenga, who sold her family’s property and dropped out of university in a desperate attempt to seek greener pastures abroad.

Explaining further, Senator Bassey said “Mercy Olugbenga ended up in captivity for over a year, locked in a room where her blood was repeatedly drained by nurses for her employer’s mother, a chilling act he described as modern-day slavery.”

He expressed deep concern that “illegal migration through Libya has degenerated into a crisis of human trafficking, forced slavery, ransom extortion, and grave human rights violations against Nigerians, particularly women and youths.”

Citing reports that nearly a thousand Nigerians were repatriated from Libya in just the first quarter of this year, Senator Bassey lamented that the ordeal of many returnees, marked by torture, sexual abuse, and exploitation.

He stressed that Nigeria, as a signatory to international treaties like the Palermo Protocol, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, must rise to its moral and diplomatic obligations to protect citizens from such atrocities.

Following Senator Bassey’s presentation, the Senate resolved to “Establish a National Reintegration and Protection Programme (NRPP) for returnees from Libya through NAPTIP, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and State Governments”

The Senate “Urge the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strengthen diplomatic engagement with Libya and mobilize collective regional and international action through the African Union, ECOWAS, and the United Nations to ensure the safety of Nigerians in Libyan detention camps.”

“Mandate the Committees on Diaspora, Human Rights, and Foreign Affairs to conduct a comprehensive oversight inquiry into NAPTIP, the Nigeria Immigration Service, and border agencies to enhance enforcement against traffickers and fraudulent travel agents.”

“Recommend amendments to the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act to impose stiffer penalties on traffickers and unlicensed agents while promoting a nationwide awareness campaign on the dangers of irregular migration.”

“Direct the Ministry of Women Affairs and NAPTIP to develop gender-sensitive protection protocols for women and girls vulnerable to trafficking, ensuring access to justice, healthcare, and rehabilitation.”

The Senate further “Call on the Nigeria Immigration Service to strengthen border security through biometric monitoring, intelligence-sharing, and tighter regulation of unregistered travel agencies—particularly in states with high emigration rates.”

Media Unit

Office of the Senator

Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District