A Nigerian girl, Miss Mercy Oluwagbenga, who was recently rescued from Libya after a viral video showed her crying for help, has warned young Nigerians against embarking on irregular migration through unsafe routes.

This was contained in a statement signed by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abuja.

The statement reads partly: “Whatever your situation, do not travel through dangerous routes,” were the words of Mercy Oluwagbenga, the young Nigerian girl recently rescued from Libya after a viral video showed her crying out for help.

“For one year and six months, I worked without receiving a kobo, because I had to pay the Agent who took me to Libya the sum of about two and a half million naira. I was maltreated, I changed jobs, and at one point, locked up in a house where my blood was drawn without my consent,” she recalled.

Mercy, an indigene of Kabba in Kogi state, lamented that Nigerians in her situation were “treated like animals,” stressing that she was lucky to have escaped into a camp.

“I don’t want any young girl or boy to go through what I went through. Please don’t follow this route,” Mercy pleaded, as she pledged to work with NIDCOM to raise awareness against irregular migration.

Narrating her ordeal, Mercy said she had dropped out of school at the age of 20 to cater for her sick mother before she was lured to Libya with promises of greener pastures. She disclosed that she worked under inhumane conditions for over a year and half without pay, while also being subjected to severe maltreatment.

She expressed gratitude to Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, NIDCOM, and Dr Segun Abraham of Trinity Foundation for their intervention which led to her safe return.

Mercy lamented that she lost her ailing mother while trapped in Libya and appealed for support to enable her to resume her university education, abandoned since 2018 when she was in 300 level.

In her remarks, NIDCOM Chairman/CEO, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, praised Mercy’s resilience, describing her as “one of the lucky ones.”

She stressed that many Nigerians had perished in the desert or the Mediterranean Sea, while others remain missing. Dabiri-Erewa reiterated that irregular migration was “voluntary suicide” and cautioned youths to explore only safe and legal channels for travel.

The NIDCOM boss further commended Dr Segun Abraham for his financial support which made Mercy’s repatriation possible, assuring that the Commission would facilitate her full rehabilitation.

She pledged that NIDCOM would intensify advocacy, in collaboration with stakeholders, to protect Nigerians and curb human trafficking.

She also hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for introducing the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which she said would provide opportunities for vulnerable Nigerians like Mercy to complete their education without resorting to risky journeys abroad.