The office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, has warned Nigerian migrants against travelling to Libya, where the punishment for illegal migration is death.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa (photo) made the warning on Monday, following the emergence of videos and photographs of Nigerians being killed in the country. She said it is shocking to know that despite the mistreatment and killings of blacks taking place in the country, Nigerian migrants still travel to Libya.

“I hereby appeal again to Nigerian migrants to avoid Libya as penalty for illegal migration to Libya, when caught, is usually a death sentence. We have been drawn to a video and pictures being circulated on the purported killing of black immigrants in Libya. It is a known fact that Libya has been executing alleged black illegal immigrants for years,” she said.

Dabiri-Erewa added that the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), alongside the Nigerian Embassy in Libya has relentlessly interceded in cases involving Nigerians being in trouble in Libya and will continue to do so. She said Libyans are dealing with their own struggles as there was no recognized government in place, the Cable news reports.

Indeed, the United Nations-backed, internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), in 2016 made efforts to proclaim itself in Tripoli, as two authorities; one based in Tripoli and another in eastern Libya continued to fight for legitimacy and control over resources and infrastructure in the country.

Anita Fatunji