Outrage erupted in the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday as lawmakers called for urgent diplomatic action to rescue hundreds of Nigerian women and children reportedly detained in Libyan prisons.
The motion, sponsored by Senator Aniekan Bassey (Cross River South), drew attention to the recurring cases of human trafficking, slavery, and gross human rights abuses suffered by Nigerians in Libya — a country described as a “corridor of death and despair” for migrants seeking to reach Europe.
The Senate adopted a series of resolutions mandating the Federal Government, through the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Humanitarian Affairs, as well as NAPTIP, to work with Libyan authorities to secure the victims’ release and implement a comprehensive reintegration plan.
Lawmakers also urged stronger regional action through the African Union, ECOWAS, and the United Nations, while directing Senate committees to investigate trafficking networks and unlicensed travel agents aiding irregular migration.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended the motion and appealed to Nigerian youths to avoid illegal migration, saying, “Home is home. Many who leave in search of greener pastures only find pain abroad.”
