Kehinde Fatukasi, a Libya returnee, has narrated his experience of trying to cross into Europe through Libya with his wife and six-year-old son.
The Ekiti-born said he and other returnees do not fear death anymore as they had seen more terrible things. Fatukasi said the Libyans were brutal in their treatment of foreigners.
The 42-year-old father of one, said they killed anybody who refused to be sold into slavery. He said his wife had managed to escape and returned to Nigeria before them.
“I was there (Libya) with my wife who had returned to Nigeria. I believe she would have thought that we are dead.
“The Arabs treated us like slaves. You work without being paid and so many of us were killed while watching the killings.
“All of us here don’t fear death; we have seen what is more than hell.
“The Libyans don’t care if you are black or not, the treatment given to us (blacks) is same they give to their Arab neighbours from Tunisia or Algeria.
“Once they need someone to work, those chosen must follow them. Any refusal not to follow will be to kill that person instantly,” he said.
Fatukasi, who had been trying to sneak into Germany in search of greener pastures, however said he returned with irrigation tools to help him start a farm here in Nigeria.
“Libyans are great farmers in spite of the fact that their country is in desert. I came back to Nigeria with irrigation tools like water sprinkler which will aid me to start afresh.
“I will work very hard to see that my son gets very good education and give my wife a restful life to enjoy our marriage.
“If I had adequate information about the lies of better life outside, I would not have tried to leave Nigeria.
“I wanted to travel to Germany. A friend assured me of better life but immediately we got to Niger Republic I began to regret my decision, and I didn’t know that what I experienced in the desert was just a child’s play.”
Fatukasi was one of the 136 Nigerians received by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) at the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Monday night.
Idris Muhammed, Coordinator, Lagos Territorial Office of NEMA, said they were brought back by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and European Union under the Assisted Voluntary Returnees (AVR) Programme.
He said: “The returnees are made up of 59 adult females, four female children and five female infants.
“Also, there are 63 adult males, two male children and three infant males.”
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