“I Worked for Over a Year Without Pay, Locked Up and Used Against My Will” – Mercy Recounts Ordeal in Libya

A young Nigerian woman, Mercy Oluwagbenga, has shared her harrowing experience after being rescued from Libya. Mercy, who hails from Kabba in Kogi State, is now warning Nigerian youths against embarking on dangerous journeys in search of greener pastures.

Speaking in a report by Channels News on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, Mercy revealed that she dropped out of school at the age of 20 to care for her ailing mother.

In her quest to support her family, she was lured to Libya with promises of a better life. Instead, she became a victim of what she described as “modern-day slavery.”

“For one year and six months, I worked without receiving a kobo because I had to pay the agent who took me to Libya about ₦2.5 million. I was maltreated, forced to change jobs, and at one point, locked up in a house where my blood was drawn without my consent,” she recounted with tears.

Mercy explained that Nigerians like her were “treated like animals.” She eventually managed to escape into a camp before receiving help. Unfortunately, while she was trapped, she lost her sick mother back home in Nigeria.

Expressing her gratitude, she thanked the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), its Chairman, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and Dr. Segun Abraham of Trinity Foundation, for facilitating her safe return.

In her remarks, Dabiri-Erewa commended Mercy’s bravery and urged Nigerian youths to avoid irregular migration, describing it as “voluntary suicide.” She emphasized the importance of safe and legal migration channels.

Mercy now hopes to resume her education, which she abandoned in 2018, and says she is committed to working with NIDCOM to sensitize others about the dangers of irregular migration.