I had To Drink Urine - Libya Returnee

A Returnee among the batch of 171 Nigerians deported from Libya, Gift Peters, while narrating her ordeal said she had to drink urine as meal to survive.

The 171 Nigerian deported back to the country on Tuesday. Reports say that the airplane conveying them landed at about 4:18 p.m. at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

She said 11 months ago, she was deceived that they were going to Germany but she was taken to Libya.

Miss Peters, an indigene of Delta, while speaking to the press on arrival at the airport, said it was better to die than face the hardship in Libya.

“When I got to Libya, it was not in my mind to continue with the journey.

“So I asked the person that took me to return me to Nigeria but he started maltreating me and sold me to someone who has a connection house in Libya where we were maltreated daily.

“If we don’t want to work, they will start maltreating us. They will do you something that you will wish to die.

“Those who they sold us to, sometimes, use iron and start burning us. At times, they will instruct our fellow ladies to urinate for us to drink as meal for the day.” She said.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora, while receiving the returnees, commended the International Organization for Migration, IOM, for facilitating the return of the Nigerians.

“Like I told them, they are not criminals; these are people that have gone in search of greener pastures. However, it turned out to be a terrible experience for them.

“They shouldn’t be ashamed of themselves. Now they are back home and Mr. President has personally conveyed his greetings to them and to let them know that they are back in Nigeria and there is no better time than now.” She said.

Dabiri said times are tough and difficult things but home is the best place to be.

“The question is, how long are we going to keep evacuating them? So there is going to be another evacuation and a final one when we will tell Nigerians who are stranded in Libya to come back home.” She added.

It can be recalled that earlier, a batch of 161 Nigerians had been returned to the country on 14 February by the Federal Government.