ABUJA, Nigeria – The Nigerian Senate has issued a forceful call for immediate action to rescue hundreds of its citizens, predominantly women and children, who are being held in Libyan prisons, denouncing their plight as “modern-day slavery.”
Lawmakers are urging Nigerian government agencies to collaborate closely with Libyan authorities to secure the release and repatriation of the detainees. The Senate revealed that many of the victims were originally trafficked under false pretenses, lured by promises of employment and a better life in Europe, only to find themselves trapped in a cycle of exploitation.
According to testimony presented in the Senate, many of the women have been forced into prostitution, while others have suffered severe physical and sexual abuse in detention. The situation is so dire that some women have allegedly given birth while behind bars.
Senator Aniekan Bassey, speaking on the floor of the Senate, delivered a powerful condemnation of the route through Libya, which he described as “a corridor of death and despair” for countless Nigerians seeking a better future.
The urgency of the Senate’s call is underscored by recent repatriation efforts. In early 2025, approximately 1,000 Nigerians were returned to the country after enduring harrowing experiences, including torture, sexual violence, and forced labor.
The Senate’s resolution emphasizes the need for a coordinated national response to what it deems a grave humanitarian crisis, pressing the executive branch to act swiftly to bring its citizens home and address the criminal trafficking networks preying on vulnerable Nigerians.
