Abike Dabiri-Erewa, senior special assistant to the president on foreign affairs and diaspora, says Nigerians were warned against going to “deadly and dangerous” Libya.
Dabiri-Erewa said this in reaction to the report of ongoing auctions of African nationals in the North African country.
Speaking on Channels TV programme, Politics Today, on Thursday, she said: “NEMA, my office, IOM told Nigerians that avoid Libya, it is deadly, it is dangerous, don’t go there.
“Also on the news, you have cases of Nigerians being brought back from Libya on a regular basis. So Nigeria has been bringing back its citizens from Libya.
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“You can imagine the dangerous journey. Walking about 3,000kilometers that’s flying for about three hours if you are going to Europe. This might be attributed to poverty.
“Yes, the government must do the needful by creating enabling environment and jobs but it goes beyond that. What do you say of a mother who sells her land and pays off $4,000 for her daughter to go to Europe?”
The SSA to the president said the federal government is taking steps to deter Nigerian youth from embarking on such dangerous journeys.
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President Muhammadu has said Nigerians stranded in Libya will be promptly identified and evacuated back home.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Friday said 1,295 Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya in November.
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