My name is Sarah Okoro (not real name). I’m a Libya returnee. I returned December 2017. Reason for my travelling was that while still in Nigeria, after I lost my mum at a tender age, I became a single mother. I was actually working for someone, barbing hair. The guy I was working with who actually owns the place was the one that actually introduced me into this traveling issue. He told me that you can barb and make hair very well, in Libya, you can do this and get lots of money. So, he introduced me into it. The way they say it, it looks very easy, but it ends up in being not what they actually said it is. I said, no problem, I will go due to the difficulties I was passing through in Nigeria. I just decided to take the risk and I went. *In Libya, the experience I got there is not what even you will wish for your enemies. It was hell,* because, we spent a lot of time in the desert, trying to go to Libya, a lone country.
*How I Left Nigeria*
After we discussed about the travelling issue, I went to the guy to meet the person, because the person that was in Libya was communicating with me and telling me what to do. He gave the guy money to buy some stuff for me; some foodstuff and what I will need; Jalabia and all that; the things that we wear and all that. So, the woman told me not to tell my family that I‘m travelling; that most of the time, if you tell your parents you are travelling, they might discourage you from traveling. I didn’t even tell my grand-mum who I was staying with then; so, I just wake up the fateful morning and went to the guy’s place, from there, we went to Big Joe park at Ramat Park – Abuja – Kano. It was at a night journey. Actually, it was not easy. At first when we were in Nigeria, it was easy; I thought that’s how it was going to be until we got to Gathrom. It was at Gathrom the journey actually started because, from there, it was no longer bus, but Hilux, because, they were going to load you like Titus (Sardine). They were going to load you inside. That was when the journey actually started because, when I was travelling, the person that was pushing me, which is my Burger, like they do say; he said I should not tell anybody that I was coming to Libya to work; that I should just tell them that my sister is in Libya, she just put to bed, that I am coming to do “ *Omugo* .” So, if anybody ask me, that’s what I do tell them. Everybody has his or her own story to tell; so, when I got to Agades, from there, they load us into Hilux. We were like between 20–30 people moved instantly. In that place, you will see about 1,000 Nigerian; it was a very big hall. Different tribes, name it, brought by different people. So, when I got there, I saw myself in the midst of many; I tried to make friends because in that desert, you don’t know who is who. So, when we started the journey actually, it was hell. Before we even started, they gave me N5,000. They didn’t tell me to use it to buy anything. They just said I should hold the money and when people are buying things, I will just be looking at the N5,000. But, thanks to God that I didn’t use the money because, it really helped me. A lot of vehicles will capsize; some, their tyres will get spoilt, but our own, nothing happened to it until we got to Niger when our vehicle lost track and moving round in circle. I am sure he lost track; we got lost in the desert and stayed for about two more days in that place before he could reach someone and another Hilux now came and located us; we spent about a month and weeks before we got to Libya.
*Experience in Libya*
Experience in Libya was something else. When I got to Libya, the person I was staying with was very good to me, and very nice. She was a stylist. The first week, she was given me food and I was very happy; she had a kid. I was very happy, feeling at home always till one fateful day when I was at home. She asked me to go and dress up and do some shopping, because, she asked me not to take any cloth when I was coming because anything I wanted, cloths, shoes, that I will see it there. So, I did not carry any cloths. We went for shopping, she was buying cloths for me. She keeps buying all this short cloths. I then told her, Ma, there is cold in this place, please, how do you want me to use this? She said that I should not worry, that heat season will soon come; then I said Ok and I took it home. When I got home, the next day, she told me that I will be going to my working place. So, I was very happy hearing that alone, because I have stayed at home for about two weeks plus, doing nothing. When that day came, she said I should dress up and carry my bag and I said Ma, am I going to be staying in that place, she said no, that I should just obey her; so, I carried my bag and we entered a taxi. The man took us to one place; there was one small door, she just ask me to go in and that ‘this is Libya, this is not Nigeria.’ You just do your thing. You don’t just work like that. So, I ran into the place, she didn’t follow me and they closed the door and left. I was so surprised and wondered, is this the place? and I said, let me just walk through. The gateman directed me that I should go forward. As I was going, I saw one Ibo girl, very beautiful girl, she was wearing that same pant my burger bought for me; one of it, I saw another one coming; nobody needs to tell me that this place is a prostitution house. I was so surprised I now said this is not the place she told me she was actually bringing me to. Then, as I was just going, I don’t know if it’s God or devil, as I just got inside, I dropped the bag. The owner of the place said I should come and sit down. Then one Ghana guy was seated there. The Ghana guy now spoke Arab. Then, I don’t know how to speak Arab.
The Arab guy now spoke to the woman that he needs me. The woman now asked me to go and change … I said Ma, I can’t do this work. This is not what we bargained. Before I even finished talking, I received several slaps on my face, beat me and was asking me series of questions, ‘if my papa get company when he open for Libya when you wan come work, abi na your mama naim open saloon shop for Libya.’ So, I was crying. I told them and was insisting that I was not going anywhere. She now saw how persistent I was that she was now using soft tone for me, like, no problem; sorry; just relax. I never knew they have something else for me. So, she just came to meet me and said Sarah, come. You said you want to go and see your Madam. Oya dress up. I now dressed, I was happy. I carried my bag, but she said I should leave it; ‘your madam will come and carry it. I think you want to go and see your madam.’ That was how I entered a vehicle. If only I knew that it’s not what I was thinking, I would have just obeyed them and stayed there that day. So, I followed the vehicle; there was a Ghana guy in the vehicle. The woman told me that the guy was going to take me to my madam’s place. My madam’s house to that place was not that far. So, when we were going, I discovered that we didn’t even follow the road that we followed earlier. I was now worried that this is not the road that we followed. He said I should not worry and asked if I am scared, I answered no, I am not; I was just trying to let you know that this is not the road we followed while we were coming to this place. He said I should just calm down, asking me questions to remove my mind from that thing I was saying. He was asking me what happened; I was now explaining. He said no problem; he wants to help me, making several commitments. That made me happy; when we just got to one place, he said I should come down. I now said this is not my madam’s place; he said I should come down first. Immediately, I came down, I saw a Hilux in front of us. They took me into the Hilux and said I should sit in the Hilux. They carried me to the desert. When I got to the desert, I saw Arab people (soldiers). Holding gun (10 of them). When we got there, they asked me to come down and said I should pull my jalabia. They were not speaking English; it’s only the Ghana guy that was hearing English, the rest of them were just speaking Arab. Then, I don’t know how to speak Arab. So, whatever they were saying, I just try to nod my head because of the things I have heard about them. Everybody is scared of them. They were holding guns and using guns to tell me to pull my cloth and kneel down. So, I obeyed and pull my jalabia; while I was there struggling, 10 of the soldiers rapped me in that desert. They called my madam in my presence … and… (sobbing) …
*Life in Libya*
In Libya, actually, even when the person that is taking you there tells you that maybe you want to go and work, I don’t really believe that there is anything like work in Libya. There is work; there is Arabu (working for Arab man). working for Arab man, but is very stressful; so, most Nigerians, I know of a girl who said that she prefers doing prostitution than to work for Arab man, because, while you are working for Arabu, you have to wash their ceilings, wash everything about their house. They will use you anyhow. So, a lot of girls don’t want to do that, they just believe that the easiest way to make money in Libya is prostitution which is very bad. So, a lot of bad things are happening in Libya. I know of a girl they dis-virgin there in Lybia; with cucumba, they dis-virgined her in the desert. A lot of bad things are happening. In my presence when Asma boys came, Asma boys are those bad boys that burst your house, they will dress like soldiers, but they are not actually soldiers. They will take you to the prison and ask you to bring money, control money from Nigeria and all that. When they came, they burst the house and met the girl in the next room to my room. I was there holding myself and the people that were staying with me. They were just praying and all that.
The girl, they wanted to sleep with her, but she refused; they shot her in her private part and still, they took her to the prison; they throw her into the desert; only God knows what’s happening to her. Whether she is dead or still alive, only God knows. So, alot of girls are suffering in Libya. You see some, they will leave Nigeria normal, but in Libya, they are mad. Sometimes, it could be the connection man, sometimes, the place they are staying, even doing prostitution. A lot of bad things are happening in Libya to girls and to boys; boys suffer more than girls. When I see our Nigerian guys in Libya, I respect them alot, because, they suffer alot. Some people will go to Libya with full body and comeback with one hand, one leg, different things. So who would want to see all this things and still want to go. It’s not a good thing to travel to Libya by any means.
*My journey back to Nigeria*
I actually spent four years and some months in Libya; after my four years in Libya, I finished paying the person that brought me, I now decide to come back though, I tried crossing (to Europe). When I was trying to cross, they caught us on the sea there and took us to prison. The prison they took us to we escaped. While we escaped (12 of us) both pregnant women and all that, they took us into hiding; it was like a living house. I now said I can’t hide there in Libya, not having rest of mind. I now said since I can’t cross (to Europe), let me just go back to Nigeria.So, that was how we went to the Airport to write our names. We voluntarily came back to Nigeria. They said it’s a free flight. That was how we actually came back with the help of IOM. We took a flight and were stopped in Ikeja, Lagos.
When we came down at the Airport, we spent like three days; they lodged us in a hotel. They took care of us very well and after some time, I said, let me go back to my family and stay with them for some time because they said IOM was going to empower us then. They said we will go to the training and they will empower us. I came back to Benin. While I was in Benin, I went for the training in January. They said they will empower us, that was in 2018 because, I came 2017 December 26. It was from January I went for the IOM training. On completing the training, they said they were going to empower us with something so that we start up our business. I completed my training and they were asking us for invoice. They said they were going to group us. So, while they were grouping others, it was only me that was left because they grouped people into three. I was now left out because nobody was staying in my area because groups were formed based on area you are staying. Nobody wants to do the kind of business I want to do. I was now left out. So, when I complained, they said no problem, that they were going to put me in a group, that whenever a programme is coming up, they will call me, that I should go.
Going home, they will say come to the office; for four years, IOM did not answer me. So, I even forgot about them and was doing my thing myself. I now went to Lagos, I was doing house help, knowing that I have a daughter I am taking came of. I was doing house help, I went to Lagos with her doing house help there, trying to take care of her and sustain. One fateful day, I was trying to embark on this same journey – traveling back to Libya because, it was like, let me just go; if I die, I die, if I save, I save, than for me to be here seeing my daughter suffering.
While I was trying to do that, I now saw a friend of mine that I know in Libya; we are attending the same church; I now saw him on Facebook with some IOM people and I chatted him up and said how far? You are in Nigeria?, he yes; I now said him, I am in Lagos; I am even planning to go back to Libya. So, when he heard that, he was now saying, why am I trying to go back to Libya. What happened? I now explained some of the things to him. He was now asking if IOM has paid me my money, I said no; for good three years now, coming to four years; I even stop disturbing them; he now said I should not do that, that IOM will pay me; that he was going to send my number and name to someone else; they will handle my case, I said ok, no problem. He now forwarded my name to Mr. Elijah, who now forwarded to Blessing, IOM staff; that was how December last year (2020), IOM paid me my money. This was someone that was planning to go to Libya. I was even thinking its scam -‘This boy wan just use sweet mouth for me make I for no go,’ but, to God be the glory they paid me my money and I started my business again with happiness and joy; I have been happy. Since then, I am not thinking of traveling again.
I am so happy that when they gave me my money, I did not just rush to go and get a shop. Because, I have seen so many returnees, even before I got paid; so many people, after paying them, they will just sell all the things and use it to do something else or maybe when they open a shop, one or two things will come up and I cant really find out while all these things are happening; but for me not to do this, when IOM paid me, I went for a three month training on how to do business; though, I had not collected the goods yet. I left the goods in my invoice.
After I came back from the training, the street that I was staying in, the house that I was staying, in front of the house, there were about three shops there and if I didn’t go for that training, probably, I would have gone to take that shop and say, let me just take up that shop and start up my business. After the training, I came to realize that that street that I was staying, my target audience were not there. Probably, if I had opened a shop in that place, I will keep grumbling that no customer, not knowing that I was the one that did not do my research well. After my research and all that, I discovered that I can actually work from home and I have been working from home, to gather more customers so that if I get those customers and go and open my own shop outside there, I know that I have gotten there.
*Intention to return to Libya*
The reason I wanted to even travel back is that, in Nigeria here that is my country, I could not eat; when I was doing the house girl in Lagos, I will drink garri with my daughter. Garri is not my best food. If someone sees me, I will say I just like it; it’s not because I like it, but because there was nothing to eat.
