Deceived, Trapped and Exploited: How a Nigerian Woman Escaped Libya’s Migration Nightmare By Raymond Enoch

A young Nigerian woman who survived two years of trafficking, exploitation and hardship in Libya has shared her painful journey, warning young people against falling victim to false promises of greener pastures abroad through irregular migration routes.

The returnee, identified as Miracle Ikechukwu (not her real name), was among the 182 Nigerian migrants recently repatriated from Benghazi, Libya, through the International Organization for Migration (IOM)’s Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) Programme.

Narrating her ordeal, Miracle said what began as a trusted relationship with a man known to her family ended in deception, suffering and heartbreak. According to her, the man convinced both her and her mother that he intended to take her abroad and assured them they would travel together.

“I believed I was travelling for a vacation,” she said.

She explained that she was instructed to travel to Kano where she expected to meet him, but instead found herself being transported across unfamiliar locations without any clear explanation.

“One moment I was in the bush, the next in the desert. I kept asking questions, but nobody told me what was happening,” she recalled.

The journey through the Sahara Desert, she said, remains one of the most traumatic experiences of her life. For several days, she survived with little or no food and drank from water sources shared by animals.

“Hunger became so severe that at times I ate sand just to ease the pain in my stomach,” she said.

Upon arriving in Benghazi, Libya, Miracle said she discovered she had been deceived and effectively trafficked. She was allegedly handed over to individuals who informed her that she owed money and would have to work to repay a debt she never agreed to.

“When I protested, they threatened me and said the police would arrest me if I caused any problems,” she said.

To survive, Miracle said she accepted domestic work under difficult conditions, spending months cleaning, cooking and caring for households while enduring long hours of labour. She disclosed that the strenuous work left her with persistent health challenges.

“Even now, I still experience pain in my back and legs because of the work I did,” she said.

The returnee further revealed that she was often denied wages and subjected to intimidation whenever she demanded payment.

“Sometimes I worked for months without receiving any salary. Whenever I asked for my money, I was threatened,” she added.

Beyond the physical hardship, Miracle described life in Libya as one dominated by fear and uncertainty. According to her, migrants constantly faced the risk of arrest, detention and exploitation during police raids and security crackdowns.

However, the emotional toll proved even more devastating.

While stranded in Libya, she lost her mother. The news, she said, reached her only after the burial had taken place.

“I was devastated. I wasn’t there when my mother died and I couldn’t say goodbye,” she said.

She also disclosed that she later lost a cousin and became separated from her eldest sister, who remains missing.

“The guilt has never left me,” she said.

After spending two years in Libya, Miracle said she reached a point where she could no longer continue.

“My body was broken and my spirit was exhausted. I needed a way home,” she said.

Her return became possible through the support of the IOM, which provides stranded migrants with safe return assistance and reintegration support. The programme offers vocational training, educational opportunities, psychosocial counselling and business support aimed at helping returnees rebuild their lives and become self-reliant.

For Miracle, returning home marked the beginning of a new chapter.

“Coming back gave me hope. I now want to rebuild my life and support my family,” she said.

Despite her return, she said her family continues to face challenges, including the disappearance of one sister and the struggle of another sibling seeking to return home from Burkina Faso. Nevertheless, she remains determined to move forward.

She urged young Nigerians to be cautious of individuals offering unrealistic opportunities abroad and to seek legitimate pathways for travel, education and employment.

“No dream is worth risking your life for,” she warned.

Migration experts say Miracle’s experience reflects the realities faced by many victims of trafficking and irregular migration who become trapped in cycles of abuse, forced labour and exploitation along dangerous migration routes. Her story, they note, underscores the importance of public awareness, stronger anti-trafficking measures and sustained reintegration support for returning migrants.

For Miracle, however, the focus is now on recovery and rebuilding.

After years of suffering, she says she has been given a second chance — and intends to make the most of it.