Libya Ordeal: A Mother’s Harrowing Journey and Escape

Abeokuta, Ogun State – The quest for a better life turned into a nightmare of exploitation, abuse, and near-death for Olaonipekun Adenike, a 30-year-old single mother of two from Ogun State. Her terrifying account of traveling to Libya by car, a journey she hoped would lead to a brighter future, serves as a stark warning about the dangers of irregular migration.

Raised in Sagamu, Adenike grew up in a community where education for girls was not prioritized and traveling abroad was seen as the ultimate achievement. This societal backdrop, combined with her desire to further her education at the National Open University in Abeokuta, made her vulnerable to deceptive offers.

Her ordeal began when a long-time family friend contacted her on Facebook, offering assistance as a way to “repay” her mother’s past kindness. Adenike was promised a three-month work opportunity in Libya, after which she would be free. This, she believed, was her lifeline.

The journey started from Sagamu to Lagos, then Kano, and finally into the Niger Republic, where the true horror unfolded. Adenike recounted spending three agonizing months in the desert with scarce food and water, witnessing fellow travelers succumb to the harsh conditions, and even resorting to drinking urine to survive.

The most traumatic experience, however, came at an unnamed border crossing. “It wasn’t our fellow travelers who raped us; it was the policemen at the border,” Adenike bravely shared. “They randomly picked women and raped us before allowing us to continue.” It was at this horrifying moment that the promises of a better life shattered.

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Upon finally reaching Libya, Adenike discovered the extent of the betrayal. She had been sold. “My mum’s friend said I spent too long on the road, so she sold me to a Ghanaian man,” she explained. Her identity was stripped away; her name changed to Ibrahim Aishat, she was given a Ghanaian passport, and informed she would work for 18 months, not the promised three.

The Ghanaian man then handed her over to an Arab employer, who kept her as a maid for a year and a half. During this time, she had no control over her life, relying entirely on her employer for food and clothing, while the Ghanaians routinely collected money she supposedly “owed.”

Determined to escape, Adenike managed to organize travel documents with the help of a friend who contacted the embassy. However, her attempt to retrieve them led to another ordeal: arrest and imprisonment. Despite her mother selling land to send money to the police, Adenike was returned to prison, where she endured a month of horrific conditions.

A compassionate policeman eventually aided her escape, but this brief respite was short-lived. She was immediately handed over to more traffickers. “They sold me to a brothel,” Adenike recounted with anguish. “I was stripped naked so men could see what they were paying for. It was hell.” For two weeks, she was forced into sexual exploitation.

One morning, while being dropped off at the brothel, Adenike seized an opportunity. “I was dropped first at the house, so I climbed a fence and escaped.” She ran to the embassy, finding refuge there for two weeks before finally being put on a government-chartered flight back to Nigeria.

She landed in Port Harcourt, where returnees were profiled, and eventually, the Ogun State Government provided transportation to a cultural center in Abeokuta.

Asked why so many Nigerians risk such perilous journeys, Adenike cited poverty, lack of accurate information, and the pervasive lies spread by traffickers. “Many think they’re going to Europe, but end up stuck in Libya,” she warned.

Today, Olaonipekun Adenike and her two children — one born before her tragic journey and another after her return — are back in Nigeria. Her experience in Libya, where “every Nigerian I met… had one issue or another. You were either working for someone or in prison. There was barely anyone to help,” serves as a powerful testament to the urgent need for awareness and support to combat human trafficking.