Follow4Update

18/08/2024

12/08/2024

I don’t understand this package , another airline mixed color, mixed label .. Una don big for this, when you bought second hand aircraft, change all logo / label or paint to yours .

25/07/2024

20/07/2024

20/10/2022

A Nigerian lady has shared a funny video showing how her body transformed during pregnancy

The video showed a throwback of the woman before pregnant and a clip of her while expecting her baby Many netizens who came across the clip on popular app, TikTok, insisted that the change was glaring

The shocking transformation of a Nigerian woman during her pregnancy has stirred reactions. Viral videos making the rounds online show the young woman before she got pregnant and after she took in
Read more: https://www.legit.ng/people/1499035-nose-reduce-nigerian-woman-flaunts-shocking-pregnancy-transformation-video-frenzy/?fbclid=IwAR2dHGeTUU7za68ZcqFa9-nPMP5LWqsa8N9gD1NZb7LT0o_uqtXoMhdYq7I

20/10/2022

19/11/2021

Army releases wife of soldier who lambasted Buratai

The Nigerian Army has freed Victoria Idakpini, the detained wife of Lance Corporal Martins Idakpani.

This was nine days after she was held by the army because her husband slammed the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Tukur Buratai, in a viral video over the handling of the Boko Haram terrorists.

The army proceeded to arrest his wife after she granted a media interview, calling for the release of her husband.

Sources say she was arrested Tuesday midnight and spent nine days in the military guardroom where she was locked up.

Her phone was also confiscated.

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The PUNCH learnt that her release came after a human rights lawyer, Tope Akinyode, vowed to institute a lawsuit against the Nigerian Army over the unlawful detention of the couple.

The lawyer later filed a lawsuit against the Nigerian Army, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Attorney General of the Federation, urging the Federal High Court to grant unconditional release of the Martins and his wife.

Akinyode told The PUNCH that the lawsuit against the army would continue despite Victoria’s release.

There is, however, no information about Martins

19/11/2021

Comedian, Cute Abiola Declared Missing

Comedian, Abdulgafar Ahmad, aka Cute Abiola has been declared missing by his family. A WhatsApp message on the matter was shared by his colleague, Mr Macaroni, who called on the Nigerian Navy, to ease the concerns of the family, by stating whether they have him in their custody or not.

Cute Abiola was last heard from when he got to work at Navy Town on November 15.

Credit: Twitter | debomacaroni

19/11/2021

Manufacturers owe banks N3.71tn, borrow N520bn in eight months

Operators in the nation’s manufacturing sector saw their combined debt to Nigerian banks rise to N3.71tn as they borrowed N520bn from January to August.

Banks’ credit to the sector by 16.3 per cent in the eight-month period from N3.19tn as of December 2020, according to the sectoral analysis of deposit money banks’ credit by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The sector received the second-biggest share of the credit from the banks after the oil and gas sector, which got N5.47tn as of August 2021.

The Monetary Policy Committee of the CBN noted at its last meeting that the manufacturing and non-manufacturing Purchasing Manager’s Indices improved in August to 46.9 index points each, compared with 46.6 and 44.8 index points, respectively, in July.

It said this was attributed to an increase in new orders, driven largely by rising demand, uptrend in business activity and further normalisation of economic activities.

It also noted that the employment level index component of the manufacturing and non-manufacturing PMIs in August improved to 49.4 and 48.8 index points, respectively, compared with 46.5 and 47.0 index points in July.

The committee expressed optimism that with the current level of monetary and fiscal stimuli, as well as efforts to increase vaccination and contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy would continue to improve in the short to medium term.


The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria said in a recent report that the cost of funds in Nigeria, usually at double-digit, had always been one of the core challenges of the manufacturing sector, with a direct impact on the cost of production and the competitiveness of the sector.

MAN said the majority (76 per cent) of manufacturers enumerated in the fieldwork of the report disagreed that the rate at which commercial banks lent to manufacturers encouraged productivity in the sector.

It said “Only 13 per cent of those sampled agreed that the current lending rate encourages productivity in the sector while the remaining 11 per cent were not sure. It is therefore expedient for the Central Bank of Nigeria to take up rigorous monetary management measures that would encourage a reduction in lending rates on loans offered to the productive sector by the commercial banks.

“With the Monetary Policy Rate standing currently at 11.5 per cent, there may not be a credible reason the average lending rate to manufacturers by the banks is still as high 22 per cent as revealed by MAN survey of the sector.”

MAN said lending to the real and the manufacturing sectors had dwindled over the years due to the increased presence of the government in the Nigerian money market.

It said, “Government Treasury Bill, bonds, Sukuk, etc. have almost crowded out private sector borrowing in the market. It is therefore pertinent that government balances its participation at money market with the interest of the private sector.”

19/11/2021

Adedoyin’s Hilton Hotel shut down as police await OAU Master’s student autopsy

Hilton Hotel in Ile-Ife, Osun State, was on Thursday shut down over the death of a Master’s student at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Timothy Adegoke.

This is as the hotel owner, Ramon Adedoyin, is currently detained and undergoing interrogation in connection with the death of the student.

When the hotel was visited around 12pm on Thursday, it was shut down.

A security guard seen at the hotel gate said it has been shut down “for now”.

“We are not operating now,” he said.

The security guard, who refused to give his name, confirmed that “the closure is caused by the ongoing case”.

When contacted, the Osun State Police Command said Adedoyin and other suspects arrested are yet to be released.


Police Public Relations Officer, Osun State Command, Osogbo, Yemisi Opalola, said the police is awaiting autopsy.

“Adedoyin was arrested on 15th November, 2021. He is currently in police detention, undergoing interrogation in connection with the case, while awaiting the autopsy report from the hospital.

“The state police command is committed to ensure justice is done; no matter the personality of the person(s) involved in the case or how highly or lowly placed in the society; if found culpable,” she said.

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Adegoke came from Abuja to sit for his examination at the OAU distance learning centre, Moro, Osun State, before his sudden death.

Adedoyin and his worker, Adedeji Adesola, were earlier accused of being involved in the disappearance of one Mr Timothy Adegoke.

It was learnt that Adegoke had lodged in Hilton hotel located in Ile-Ife, Osun State between October 22 and November 5, 2021, before he was later declared missing.

The student was reported missing on Saturday, November 6 when he was not found at his exam hall and could not be reached by his wife and other family members.

The police later announced that the student had been found dead without giving details of how, when, and where he was found.

Adegoke was said to have lodged in the hotel on Friday, November 5 preceding his examinations scheduled for Saturday, November 6, and Sunday, November 7.

06/06/2021

Sad news

03/06/2021

What do you have to say ?

03/06/2021

Killer troops: NAF man guns down Germany-bound Nigerian in Imo

A Germany-bound Nigerian, Oguchi Unachukwu, was allegedly shot dead by the personnel of the 211 Regiment, Nigerian Air Force, in Owerri, Imo State, on Monday.

Oguchi was killed at the tollgate of the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport.

He was on his way to catch a flight to Lagos, from where he was to board a flight to Germany.

His elder brother, Onyekachi, who spoke to journalists on Tuesday, said one of the Air Force men shot Oguchi after he drove off at a checkpoint on the Airport Road after they had flagged him down.

He said, “The Air Force men stopped my brother and he stopped. He moved after they had stopped him, thinking that they asked him to move on without knowing that they asked him to park by the roadside so that they could search him and the vehicle.”

While tasking the security agencies to give his family justice, the distraught Onyekachi said it was unfortunate that Oguchi was killed by security personnel, who were supposed to protect him.

It was gathered that the remains of the deceased had been deposited in the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri.


Our correspondent saw photographs of the deceased drenched in blood, which circulated online.

According to a source, the deceased had been in Owerri for about three months and dedicated his second daughter in church two months ago.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Bala Elkana, said he was not in a position to speak for another security agency.

However, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Air Force in the state, Simeon Simeon, said he was not aware of the incident.

“It is not true. I have not heard about the incident, but how can Air Force personnel shoot someone?” he said.

02/06/2021

FUOYE suspends lecturer over alleged s*xual harassment, another under probe

The management of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, on Tuesday, announced the suspension of a lecturer in the Theatre and Media Arts Department, Dr Desen Mbachaga, over alleged s*xual harassment.

The Chief Information Officer to the Vice-Chancellor, Mr Foluso Ogunmodede, said Mbachaga, an associate professor, was suspended “on the grounds of a prima facie evidence of s*xual harassment established against him by a panel set up by the institution’s Faculty of Arts, which investigated the allegation.”

Ogunmodede, in a statement titled, ‘FUOYE suspends lecturer over alleged s*xual harassment’, said, “The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Abayomi Fasina, has set up a five-member committee to further probe the allegation with a view to getting to the root of the allegation of s*xual harassment against the embattled lecturer.”

He said the suspension, which was with immediate effect, would pave the way for the committee to further probe the allegation.

Ogunmodede added, “The VC, who has zero tolerance for indiscipline and any form of s*xual harassment against students of the institution, has consequently approved the suspension of Dr Mbachaga to allow for proper investigation of the matter.

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“Besides, the VC has also mandated the Dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof Tajudeen Opoola, to conduct a proper investigation into another allegation of s*xual harassment against another lecturer in the same department and submit the report in due time for necessary action.”

According to him, the current management of the university will do its best to clean the system of all vices

02/06/2021

Missing 29-year-old lady found dead in room, vital parts missing

A young lady who went missing on Saturday was on Tuesday found dead in her room in Mosogar, in the Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State, with vital parts of her body missing.

Sources said the deceased, aged 29, whose identity could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report, brought a man home on Saturday night, when she was last seen by her neighbours.

A neighbour, who did not want her name in print, said, “The man was later seen leaving that night; but since then, we did not see her only to discover this morning (Tuesday) that she was dead, with her vital organs missing.”

Another source said the neighbours became worried about the lady’s whereabouts days later when they began to perceive foul odour from the direction of her room.

They later alerted security operatives, who forced the door open.

“This morning (Tuesday) we informed the police and the door was forced open, only to find her co**se, with her breasts and private parts gone,” he added.

The state acting Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe, confirmed the incident, adding that the police had already removed the co**se and taken it to a morgue for autopsy while investigations were ongoing.

01/06/2021

Police raid gay wedding in Uganda

The police in Uganda have arrested 44 people for organizing and attending a traditional marriage for a gay couple.


Spokesperson for the Kampala Metropolitan Police, Luke Owoyesigyire, who disclosed this in a statement on Monday, May 31, said police received a tip off about a group of men suspected to be homos*xuals conducting a wedding in 780 zone, Ochen ward in Nansana municipality.

In his words ;

“Immediately a team of police officers proceeded to the scene and a group of 38 adult males and 6 females were found conducting a ceremony at around 1pm that looked to be a wedding. All the men had make up and some were dressed as female in dresses and wigs.

At the same functions gifts were recovered, these included suitcases, a tv, assorted gifts like sugar, salt, pineapples and many other gifts normally given at traditional functions.”




The Kampala police spokesperson used that used and unused condoms were recovered at the scene whereas the suspects were not observing Covid SOPs like social distancing and wearing of masks.

01/06/2021

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), says those who want to destroy his government will be receive the shock of their lives as his administration will do everything possible to ensure they fail.

He spoke on Tuesday after meeting with the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu; and other electoral commissioners in A*o Villa, Abuja, over the series of attacks on INEC facilities especially in the South-Eastern part of the country.

Rampaging hoodlums had razed no fewer than 11 INEC offices, 13 vehicles, 429 generators, others in over 41 attacks in the last few months. Scores of police stations have also been burnt in the South-East by the daring gunmen.

Yakubu had described the situation as a national emergency which many analysts have said might affect the 2023 general elections if the attacks are not quenched by the security agencies.

Commenting on the situation on Tuesday via his official Twitter handle, Buhari stated, “I receive daily security reports on the attacks on critical national infrastructure, and it is very clear that those behind them want this administration to fail. Whoever wants the destruction of the system will soon have the shock of their lives. We’ve given them enough time.

“I received a briefing today from the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, on the series of attacks on their facilities nationwide. These attacks are totally unacceptable, and we will not allow those behind them to achieve their evil objectives.

“I have assured INEC that we will make available to them everything they need to operate efficiently, so that no one will say we don’t want to go, or that we want a third term. There will be no excuse for failure. We will meet all of INEC’s demands.


“In the area of security, we have changed the Service Chiefs and the Inspector-General, and we are demanding that they rise fully to the challenges confronting us. There must be zero tolerance for all those those bent on destroying our country by promoting crime and insurrection!

“Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.”

21/02/2021

BREAKING NEWS: SEN. Rochas Okorocha Arrested, Detained At State Cid.

Sen. Rochas Okorocha has been arrested by Imo state government for personally leading the destruction and vandalism of security vehicles and breaking into the property of Imo State government.

The former Governor this afternoon led armed thugs to break into the property of the state government, destroying security vehicles and other state government properties.

He is currently being held and detained at the state Cid.

Details later

From Bajaa

21/02/2021

‘Pilot complained of engine failure minutes before Abuja crash’

The pilot of the Nigerian Air Force Intelligence Reconnaissance Aircraft which crashed in Abuja, on Sunday, complained of engine failure barely moments after takeoff.

A source at the control tower revealed this to The PUNCH on the strict condition of anonymity.

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The official said there been regular flights from Abuja to Minna since the abduction of the Kangara students last week.

The source said, “The aircraft was on its way to Minna. Moments after, on getting to Bassa Local Government Area, he informed the control tower that he had experienced an engine failure.

“He was advised to return to the Abuja airport immediately but it crash-landed.”

When asked if the identities of those on board had been ascertained, the official said they were in the process of doing so.

“There have been frequent flights to Niger State since the abduction of the schoolkids. Last week some ministers also flew. Soon, we will know their identities,” he said.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, also confirmed this in a tweet.

21/02/2021

UPDATE: Seven died in Abuja crash —Air Force

The Nigerian Air Force on Sunday said seven persons onboard a Beechcraft KingAir B350i aircraft died when the jet crashed in Abuja.

The jet en route Minna in Niger State crashed close to the runway of the Abuja airport after reporting engine failure.

In a statement, NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, said the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal IO Amao, has ordered an immediate probe of the accident.

Daramola said, “This is to confirm that a Nigerian Air Force Beechcraft KingAir B350i aircraft crashed while returning to the Abuja Airport after reporting engine failure enroute Minna. First responders are at the scene. Sadly, all 7 personnel on board died in the crash.

“The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal IO Amao, has ordered an immediate investigation into the incident.

“While urging the general public to remain calm and await the outcome of investigation, the CAS, on behalf of all NAF personnel, commiserates with the families of the deceased.”

21/02/2021

CACOL kicks as EFCC promotes new chairman ahead of Senate screening

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership has faulted the hurried promotion of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, who is set to face Senate screening soon.

The Executive Director of CACOL, Debo Adeniran, expressed his view during an interview with Sunday PUNCH on Saturday.

Bawa, who was appointed by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on February 16, 2021, was on Grade Level 13 and a Deputy Chief Detective Superintendent.

However, a lawyer, Osuagwu Ugochukwu, subsequently filed a suit before a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to stop the Senate confirmation of Bawa.

The lawyer argued that Bawa was not qualified based on Section 2 of the EFCC Act which states that a person who will be appointed as chairman of the commission must have at least 15 years experience and must be the rank of an Assistant Commissioner of Police or its equivalent.

On Friday, however, Bawa, was promoted to the rank of Chief Detective Superintendent ahead of his Senate screening. Hours later, announcements were made that other officers had been promoted while their letters would be handed to them later.

Speaking with our correspondent, the CACOL director described Bawa’s sudden promotion as an afterthought.

Adeniran said the promotion was not enough, adding that the acting EFCC chairman must address allegations that he diverted recovered assets.

He said, “We see this hurried promotion as an afterthought and a case of putting the cart before the horse. Why was the promotion given barely days after the appointment? Why did it have to be the kinsman of the attorney-general? Is Bawa the most senior core EFCC official?

“In any case, Bawa still has corruption allegations hanging on his neck which must be addressed if we are serious about fighting corruption.”


A source in the EFCC, who wished to remain anonymous, said Bawa and his mates who are part of the pioneer Course 1 of the EFCC Cadet Officers were supposed to have been promoted over a year ago but their promotions were being delayed by the police-led leadership of the commission.

21/02/2021

Dad’s passion for business inspired me to start a company — Imo

James Imo, 28, is a co-founder of Ibeddings Interiors. He speaks with TOLUWALOPE KAREEM about his business
Tell us about your business?

We deal in high quality beddings such as bed sheets, duvets, pillowcases, window curtain fabrics and automated window blinds, in both wholesale and retail.

What is your educational background?

I studied Computer Engineering at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State.

Do you have any corporate work experience?

No, I do not. However, I worked with my dad for three years before we set up this company. I also volunteered with a non-governmental organisation back in the university.

When and how did you find yourself in this line of business?

I worked with my dad for a very long time and in that time, I saw him in a different light. The passion he had for his business attracted me, and my interest in beddings and interior decoration grew.

What other factors motivated you to start your business?

I wanted to make luxurious and quality beddings available to the common man. Also, I have always had a fondness for home decor, so I was determined to create a space to sell affordable and luxurious interior decoration items.

How long have you been in business?


I have been in this business for about six years.

How much was your initial capital and how did you raise it?

My capital was not in cash. I was given some products to start the company by my dad and I have been able to stabilise and grow the business over the years.

What are the major challenges you’ve faced?

My major challenges so far include sourcing for quality fabrics and E-commerce logistics.

How do you get customers?

I have an outlet at a popular mall in Yaba, Lagos. I also maximise promotions on social media platforms, especially Instagram.

How do you advertise the business?

I have been able to utilise search engine optimization, as well as Instagram promotion, to create awareness and conversions for my business.

Have you ever thought of quitting and seeking paid employment?

No. I really enjoy what I do, so that keeps me focused on it. Also, I have a chain of wholesalers and drop shippers who look up to me to be able to fulfill their orders, and that alone, is enough motivation for me to get going.

Is your business registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission?

Yes, it is.

How profitable is the business?

We have attained profitability and are currently working hard to scale.

What other skills do you possess?

I’m skilled in (computer) coding and cooking.

Where do you see yourself and the business in the next five years?

We look forward to being a household name for beddings and interiors in Africa.

Considering that many parents want their children to concentrate fully on their education and get jobs, do you think there is any hope for entrepreneurship?

I think they go hand in hand. At the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey, I was not so interested in school, but after completing my degree programme in the university, I came to the realisation that education is a necessary platform for anything one intends to achieve in life, even as an entrepreneur.

How many employees do you have?

We are a small team of eight people.

What is the most influential factor in your business’ success?

There are a couple of them but the outstanding one is the uniqueness and high quality fabrics we deal in. That has made customers and even colleagues refer others to us.

What advice do you have for other young entrepreneurs out there?

My simple advice is for them to be focused and patient.

21/02/2021

Rescued Nigerian migrants recount horrible experiences in Libya, survival struggles at home

In August 2018, after spending almost three years stuck in Libya en route to Europe, Innocent Imagbeghian was finally evacuated to Nigeria.

When he left Nigeria in March 2015, he sought to migrate to Italy for a better life. He said he sold his brother’s piece of land with a building on it in Benin City, Edo State, for N2m and used the money to facilitate his travel.

But he got worse than he bargained for. He was sold to slavery camps in Libya and forced to work on farms without pay.

According to Imagbeghian, the day he was supposed to sail across the Mediterranean Sea from Libya to Europe, they had hardly travelled far when the boat he and other migrants were in suddenly developed a fault in the middle of the sea.

He noted that the boat started swinging, and in what seemed like a film to him, some migrants fell off the boat and drowned in the sea. After being rescued and subsequently arrested by the Libyan Coast Guard, Imagbeghian said he and others were taken to prison and deportation camps, where he spent five weeks before being evacuated to Nigeria through the assistance of the International Organisation for Migration.

The 41-year-old said he never knew he could regret embarking on the trip that saw him journeying for a week through the Sahara Desert – all because he wanted to travel abroad.

Imagbeghian said, “In March 2015, I left Benin City for Sokoto, where I took a motorcycle to the Nigerian border with Niger. There were people in the business of transporting migrants across the border to Niamey, Niger. As soon as I and other fellow migrants crossed the border, we got a shelter, and there I changed the naira on me to CFA, dollar and euro.

“Before I left Nigeria, I sold a piece of land with an uncompleted two-bedroomed apartment belonging to my brother. I bargained with him that when I reached Italy, I would build him a better house, among other promises. He agreed. I sold the property for N2m and used the money to fund my trip.

“From Niamey, we proceeded to Agadez (said to be Niger’s fifth-largest city), a journey of close to 15 hours. At a point, we had to sleep on the road. There was no water or food. We eventually got to Agadez, where most of us bought garri, sugar and milk. At Agadez, we were kept in a place to prepare for the journey ahead through the Sahara Desert to Libya.”

He said the journey through the desert was no child’s play, adding that the migrants were told to mentally prepare for the trip and stock as much food and water.


Imagbeghian said, “We were at the Agadez camp for two months – just eating and sleeping. At the end of the period, we paid $500 for the trip to cross the Sahara Desert to Libya. Each person was told to carry a 25-litre keg of water along, which we all did. We were reminded that there was no place to buy food and water in the desert. We also carried along garri, sugar and milk.’’

He noted that they had an accident when their truck hit an object and tumbled. After spending a week journeying through the desert, Imagbeghian said they got to Gatron, a village in the southern part of Libya, connecting the country to Chad and Niger. Imagbeghian added that he thought his journey to Europe was almost completed after arriving in Libya. But that was where his suffering was renewed.

He said, “We were taken to a camp where we met some people called ‘connection men or agents.’ They separated the males from females. From our first day at the camp, we saw how they molested the ladies. We guys were sent to farms, where we worked like donkeys.

“We would work from morning till evening without having any meals. When they would eventually give us a meal, it was a long thick bread and water. We shed tears; we were exhausted. We didn’t know the trip was like that. They collected the money left on us.’’

After a month at the Gatron camp, Imagbeghian said they were taken to the city of Sabhā, where they were handed over to another ‘connection man’ who also enslaved them.

After this period, Imagbeghian said they were taken to the coast to board boats that would sail them across the sea to Europe. He said, “I got scared when I saw the boat. It looked rickety. I and some fellow migrants told the agents we were not going to Europe again, but they said it was too late.

“They even brought out guns to force us to enter the boats. They said there were new migrants coming and they had no space for us. They also said if we returned, we would inform the new migrants of how they mistreated us. They couldn’t afford to let that happen. It was around midnight.”

As they entered the boat and sailed a few miles, Imagbeghian said their boat engine stopped working, and the boat started swinging on the sea. He added that their boat eventually stood still in the middle of the sea and they were there till daybreak.

Imagbeghian said after some time they saw men of the Libyan Coast Guard (part of the Libyan Navy) who rescued them. “They took us straight to prison, beating and scolding us. We met many migrants, mostly Nigerians, inside the prison,” he said.

During their third week in the prison, where Imagbeghian said they experienced dehumanisation, he said one day, some officials of the International Organisation for Migration came and asked who wanted to return to Nigeria.

“Who wouldn’t want to return home after all we had experienced? The IOM officials wrote our names, and two weeks later, they returned to take us out of the prison. They said it was time to go home. I shed tears of joy,” Imagbeghian said.

In August 2018, he finally returned home. Though he said he had yet to get his life fully back, he was thankful for being alive.

He said, “Actually, the IOM gave us some money to start small businesses but my business failed. I set up a boutique. But in 2020 when the pandemic struck hard, there were no sales and the few incomes I made were used for feeding. Right now, even though I don’t have any tangible source of income yet, I am happy. I can walk freely and I’m not enslaved to anyone. I can see my family and friends anytime.

Imagbeghian said the pain he had was his brother’s property he sold, hoping to repay him someday. Since his return, he said he had been advising other youths to go through the regular route should they want to leave Nigeria.

Asked if there were any regrets for embarking on the trip, the 41-year-old said, “Yes. Because before I travelled, I owned a barbing salon, and I was doing well. At least, I could take care of myself. If I had not embarked on the journey, maybe the income from the barbing business would have improved. I would have also married.’’

Promised Dubai trip, ended in Libya

The story of Joke Oreoluwa who wanted to flee Nigeria for greener pastures overseas was touching. She thought she was being taken to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, but ended up in s*xual slavery camps in Libya, where she experienced her most excruciating moments in life.

An Ondo State indigene, Oreoluwa said she was struggling through life in 2016 when a woman she met through a friend told her she could lead a better life in Dubai.

Oreoluwa said the woman told her and two of her friends that she needed young girls to help take care of her children in Dubai. At the time, Oreoluwa was 19 and had a child who was some months old.

She said, “I was suffering, so when the woman offered to help, I was filled with joy, which later turned to horror. The woman said she was willing to help me get a job in Dubai. She said she was a teacher in Dubai and needed someone to look after her children because of her busy schedule. She promised to get me and my two other friends all that we needed for the trip, including paying for our visas.

“I lived in Benin and the only trip I ever did outside of the city was to Lagos. The woman asked us not to tell anyone, even our families. She said I should know that some people would not be happy that I was going to make it in life.

“Some days later, she said she had got us what we needed for the trip. We met her and started our journey. After several hours on the road, we found ourselves in Kano. I asked the woman, ‘This could not be the way to Dubai.’ She said we should be patient –that she was only trying to help us. She said we were going to Dubai via Libya. At Kano, she handed us over to a man and left. She then told us that she would meet us in Libya so we could go to Dubai. After spending two weeks at Kano, the man told us to get ready, that we were about to travel to Niger.

“We boarded a bus, and after some hours later, we got to Agadez in Niger, where we spent a month at a camp. We were then asked to prepare for the journey to Libya through the Sahara Desert. Some trucks with migrants in each took us through the desert.”

In the desert, Oreoluwa said she came face-to-face with death. She said, “My food and water finished. We managed to survive. After eight days in the desert, Oreoluwa said they got to Libya, where she and other girls were transferred from one camp to another, sold into brothels by the ‘connection men.’ I shivered throughout the journey. I was told I fainted up to three times, with my baby in my hand. My poor parents never knew I had left Nigeria. The promise was that they would take me to Dubai.”

Oreoluwa added, “I was sold to a Libyan man, who used me as a s*x tool. He gave my baby and me food just once a day. But after some months, I found a way to escape from him. Being naive and foolish, I called the woman who tricked me from Nigeria. I had still not comprehended that she was a smuggler. She asked where I was and sent someone to come and pick me.

“I was taken to Subratha, where I spent six months in the hands of another slavery master. After the period, I was taken to the seaside to be sailed across the sea to Europe. But our boat was faulty and almost capsized. The captain paddled us to dry land and we were taken to a camp.

“The woman from Nigeria called someone to pick us up. As we were going in a taxi, we were stopped by the police. They asked for our passports and when we could not produce any, they took us to prison.

“We were first taken to an underground prison in Tripoli. From there, we were taken to a deportation camp. We were there for three months, eating bad food and drinking dirty water. The prison officials dehumanised us.”

Oreoluwa said there was a prison break during the course of detention and she escaped with her baby, running into someone who accommodated her and helped her look for a cleaning job at a hospital.

She said it was while working at the hospital that she met a man who pitied her condition and told her to visit the IOM office for possible evacuation to Nigeria.

“The man took me to the IOM office and a few days later, I returned home. I returned home in July 2019,’’ she noted. Now 24, Oreoluwa said she needed a job to keep her body and soul together.

She said, “Actually, I was given some money by the IOM to set up a business when I returned. I set up a salon. But my shop was burgled sometime in October 2020 when I went to visit my sick grandmother in the village. It was suffering that made me leave Nigeria but I never knew I travelled to suffer the most dehumanising treatment in my life. I only wanted to survive and help my poor father and grandmother who brought me up.”

Desperate journeys, hidden consequences

Driven by the quest for a better life, many Nigerian youths and others from especially West African countries have continued to flee their countries to other parts of the world, particularly Europe.

Many of those seeking better economic opportunities explore irregular migration as the best alternative, given the difficulties and resources involved in migrating through regular and legitimate routes.

However, few of those who set out on these dangerous journeys live to tell their stories. Many have died in the desert as a result of starvation while journeying to Libya to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.

While most of the men end up as slaves working as labourers on farms, the ladies are often sold to brothels where they become victims of s*xual slavery.

According to Research Fellow, Centre for Strategic Research and Studies, National Defence College, Abuja, Ugwumba Egbuta, the geographical location of Libya makes it a transit route for migrants journeying to Italy and many other parts of Europe.

Egbuta said the migration crisis in Libya and its attendant consequences were made more possible by the instability in that country, occasioned by the 2011 North Atlantic Treaty Organisation-led war against Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.

He said, “The fall of that regime left the country even more politically unstable, with increased security threats that are spilling over into other parts of Africa. Europe, in particular, lost a credible partner in its efforts to address or reduce irregular migration from Africa. Poor governance and institutional ruin as a fall-out of the war paved the way for the emergence of criminal syndicates, whose trade in human beings is now finally attracting some global attention.”

According to Amnesty International, the mostly sub-Saharan African migrants and asylum-seekers held in detention centres in Libya face torture, r**e, beatings, and appalling sanitary conditions.

The Human Rights Watch and Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) and other human rights organisations have also decried the situation in Libya, as the sale of migrants for labour or militias extorting migrants in exchange for their release or visiting less violence on them continues.

In 2020, research group, Brookings Institution, based in Washington, DC, United States, estimated that some 1,500 migrants were held in official detention centres run by the United Nations-recognised Tripoli Government of National Accord and thousands more in centres controlled by militias.

Libya is said to have long been both a destination and a transit point for migration to Europe. The IOM estimated that in February 2020, there were at least 654,000 migrants in Libya, with the top five nationalities being Nigerien (21 per cent), Chadian (16 per cent), Egyptian (15 per cent), Sudanese (12 per cent), and Nigerian (8 per cent).

Men were said to constitute 89 per cent of migrants, women 11 per cent, and seven per cent were children, of which 24 per cent (of children) were unaccompanied. Of the migrants, it cost them an average of $1,000 to reach Libya.

In a 2020 joint report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Danish Refugee Council’s Mixed Migration Centre, the organisations estimated that at least 1,750 migrants died on the irregular routes to Europe in 2018 and 2019.

In the report titled, ‘On this journey, no one cares if you live or die,’ the agencies said, “This represents a rate of at least 72 deaths per month, making it one of the most deadly routes for refugees and migrants in the world. These deaths are in addition to the thousands who have died or gone missing in recent years attempting desperate journeys across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe after reaching North African shores.”

The UNHCR and MMC detailed how most migrants taking the irregular routes suffered or witnessed unspeakable brutality and inhumanity at the hands of smugglers, traffickers, militias and in some cases even state officials.

Dehumanising experiences

Thirty-two-year-old Osamudiamen Aiworo said he was working in Lagos when a friend who claimed he was in Europe told him that if he (Aiworo) was working the same firm he was in Europe, he would be making more money.

“What he said triggered me, so I started saving money to travel. I sold my belongings and raised N450, 000. I gave it to my friend who claimed he was in Europe. He said in two weeks’ time, I should be in Europe. In May 2016, I left Lagos for Kano, and then to Niger, then Libya. It was not a journey I bargained for,” Aiworo said.

After several dehumanising experiences such as working as a slave on farms, Aiworo said on the day he attempted to cross the sea to Europe, he was arrested by the Libyan Coast Guard. After several weeks of suffering harrowing treatment in the prison, he was evacuated back to Nigeria by the IOM in July 2017.

He said, “Since my return, it has not been good. I sold all my things before I left, and I have nothing again. There is also stigmatisation because some friends refer to me as a Libyan returnee. But I don’t really care.”

Aiworo said he had since joined other returnee migrants raising awareness through drama and skits that irregular migration was dangerous.

Salome Okpero’s experience is one she would not forget in a hurry. She said it was one she never wished for an enemy.

Before she left Nigeria in June 2017, Okpero said she sold her father’s property to raise funds for the trip. She wouldn’t say whether her father was aware of the property sale.

“Now that I am back with nothing, he asked that I should not step foot in his house again. He said he had disowned me. I really wish he would forgive me. I wish I never embarked on the trip,” she told Sunday PUNCH.

Okpero, who had a two-year-old son with her during the trip, said they ran into the hands of kidnappers in the desert.

She said, “We learnt the kidnappers usually harvested migrants’ organs. We ran and walked simultaneously for about five hours to escape from the kidnappers. The following morning, we continued our journey to Libya. I suffered a lot.

“At the point where we needed to cross the sea, the boat almost capsized. Many migrants drowned. I don’t know how my baby and I survived. We were then arrested and taken to prison. My return home was facilitated by IOM in 2019.”

For Clement Onokhua, the desire to travel out of Nigeria was borne out of fear of the unknown. At the time he travelled in November 2016, he said he was a 400 Level part-time student at the University of Abuja studying Guidance and Counselling.

He said, “I lived at Gwagwalada (Abuja), where I was also a phone technician. One thing I observed was that some of the commercial motorcyclists there were graduates. Many times when they came to fix phones, they would not be able to pay for my services.

“This really got to me, and I thought if graduates could be suffering like that, what was the point of continuing my education? I made up my mind to leave the country. I got information that Nigerians were travelling to Europe through Libya, and I was desperate to leave too.

“I sold my property and also borrowed some more to raise over N500,000 for my trip. After spending two weeks in the desert, I got to Libya, where I was forced to be a farm labourer and home help. It was not just what we expected.”

After several months of working as a slave on farms, Onokhua said he found a way to escape the slavery camp and went to an area in Tripoli where he got a menial job.

He said, “An Egyptian man hired me. He taught me how to wire a house. The man was nice to me. He said I should not bother to travel to Europe, that he would help me get the necessary documentation and settle in Libya. But I told him my destination was Europe and not Libya. He tried to convince me to stay to the extent that he rented a place for me.

“So after some months working for him, I raised money to cross the sea, and then I got arrested by the Libyan Coast Guard after we had sailed past Malta and got close to Italy. We were brought back to Tripoli and taken to the deportation camp, where I spent two months and some days. At the camp, we drank unclean water; the officials mistreated us.”

Luckily for Onokhua, he said he was among those evacuated to Nigeria by the Federal Government in January 2018.

On his return to Nigeria, he said he went to his home state of Edo, where he met a popular Nigerian filmmaker who gave him a scholarship to study cinematography at the Benin Film Institute.

“Right now, I am a cinematographer and doing gigs across the country. I have bought a camera from the proceeds from a couple of works I produced, particularly on irregular migration, to raise awareness about the dangers of irregular migration. I also shoot music videos and documentaries,” Onokhua said.

We’ve brought many migrants home –IOM

The Public Information Officer, IOM Nigeria, Mr Jorge Galindo, said the agency had till date evacuated 14,182 Nigerian migrants stuck in Libya en route to Europe back home.

Galindo said out of the figure, the agency had helped rehabilitate 10,787 for reintegration into society.

The IOM stated on its website that the repatriations were in partnership with governments and organisations like the European Union, the Libyan government, and the Nigerian Mission in Tripoli.

A human rights advocate based in Lagos, Mr Shola Thomas, said greater cooperation was needed between states to identify and hold accountable the criminal perpetrators of the horrific abuses at different points along the routes.

“These measures must go hand-in-hand with efforts to address the root causes such as hunger and youth unemployment that drive these journeys and an unequivocal commitment to ensuring that no one rescued at sea is returned to danger in Libya,” he said.

“The international community should also agree on a single, comprehensive narrative that would label the criminality and bring an end to modern slavery, by developing policies and frameworks to tackle the root causes of the migration crisis,” Thomas added.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Social Development and Disaster Management, Rhoda Iliya, referred our correspondent to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons when contacted for enquiries.

But the Head, Press and Public Relations Unit, NAPTIP, Stella Nezan, did not respond to either calls or text messages sent to her mobile line.

Also, the Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Basheer Mohammed, had yet to respond to enquiries as of the time of filing this report.

Similarly, the commission’s official phone number displayed on its website was unreachable as of press time.

However, the NCFRMI stated on its website that the commission had in collaboration with stakeholders such as the IOM developed a Standard Operating Procedure on Return, Readmission and Reintegration.

The commission said the RRR process was developed from Section 4.3.3 of the National Migration Policy, and, among others, meant to facilitate the reintegration of returnee migrants.

Returnee migrants need rehabilitation –Experts

A psychologist at the Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Prof Abosede Ewumi, said interventions like rehabilitation should be provided to the returnee migrants to help them reintegrate into society faster.

“There should be interventions in terms of helping them to get rehabilitation. With rehabilitation, they will be able to overcome their traumatic experiences,” she said.

Also, an Abuja-based psychotherapist, Mrs Fausat Bello, said different types of psychosocial support interventions should be put in place according to the needs of each returnee migrant

“These interventions can include individual counselling, psychosocial support groups, referrals to specialised mental health services, psychosocial support to family members, and facilitation of peer support groups among the survivors and family members,” she said.

She added that it was important to facilitate the grief process and support the most vulnerable of the returnee migrants.