Senate to probe deaths of 26 Nigerians on Mediterranean Sea

The senate is set to investigate the deaths of 26 Nigerians on the Mediterranean Sea.

The measure followed a resolution on a motion ‘On death of 26 Young Nigerian Girls en route Italy’, sponsored by Rose Oko (PDP-Cross-River) during Thursday’s plenary.

The assembly also commended the Italian authorities for immediately stepping into the matter with the hope of resolving the murders.

It called on the federal government to set up an inter-agency committee of the ministry of foreign affairs, Nigerian Immigration Service, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons to immediately work out a strategy to check such development.

The senate also called on the government to declare a state of emergency on unemployment and come out with more pro-active measures to engage the youth.

“On November 6 it was reported by national and international media the gruesome story of the dead bodies of 26 young Nigerian girls of ages 14 to 18 discovered in a Spanish warship,” Oko said.

“The suspicion was that they were sexually abused and murdered.”

She added that there was mass exodus of young Nigerian boys and girls illegally attempting to migrate to Europe, especially to Italy and Spain.

“These journeys are through the perilous long and the hazardous Sahara and the Mediterranean sea,” she said.

“They run into the hands of bandits, are abused and raped and the dangerous sea waves often in rickety rubber boats.

“This has led to the death of several of them almost every week.”

Oko added that an inter-agency cooperation and collaboration was urgently needed by government to address this problem.