The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has warned against irregular migration after a viral video surfaced showing Nigerians stranded in Libya.
The commission said it was concerned that, despite previous evacuation efforts and repeated advisories, many Nigerians continue to take dangerous migration routes.
In a statement on Tuesday, the commission’s spokesperson, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, noted that over 10,000 Nigerians had been evacuated from Libya a few years ago, thanks to a joint effort between the Nigerian government and international agencies.
The evacuation was led by NiDCOM Chairman Abike Dabiri-Erewa and approved by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Despite Dabiri-Erewa’s repeated warnings against taking dangerous migration journeys, many Nigerians have continued to make the dangerous trip to Libya, leading to more cases of citizens becoming stranded.
Balogun explained that “while the recent video is being looked into, it’s important to remember that over 10,000 Nigerians were evacuated from Libya a few years ago under a multi-agency effort led by Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and approved by former President Muhammadu Buhari.”
In recent months, nearly 4,000 more Nigerians have been rescued from Libya by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Nigeria.
However, the commission expressed frustration that many continue to embark on these dangerous journeys, only to end up stranded again.
NiDCOM has brought the viral video to the attention of the Office of the National Security Advisor, which heads the multi-agency team handling the evacuations.
The commission sounded its warning against irregular migration and called for traffickers involved in these operations to be apprehended and publicly exposed.
“We urge Nigerians to avoid dangerous migration routes and call for traffickers responsible for these acts to be arrested and shamed,” Balogun added.
