How I came back to life while being buried in desert — Libya returnee narrates experience

A Libya returnee, Miss Blessing Muhammad, has narrated how she came back to life while she was being buried. She was among the 128 stranded Nigerians returned from Libya.

The returnees arrived the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, at about 6.32p.m. on Tuesday, aboard Al Buraq Air Boeing 100 – 800 with registration number 5A-DMG.

The trip was facilitated by International Organisation for Migration, IOM.

Blessing was a hair dresser resident at Akungba, Ondo State, before her  journey to ‘Europe’.

She narrated her story: “Which mother will not be happy when her child is about to travel abroad? My mum bought clothes and make-over materials for me when I was about to travel.

“A popular big sister at Akungba approached my mother and convinced her that she would assist me to travel to Europe with the promise that I would be doing my hairdressing work or that of a housemaid to be able to raise money and support my mother and siblings.

“My mother had not been feeling well and she needed support. I was the second to the last born in the family.

“My elder siblings are not supportive because of their economic status.

The journey

“My journey through the desert was horrific. I was to be buried and a grave had been dug.

“But just as I was about to be thrown into the grave, I miraculously came back to life as I was later told.

“I left Nigeria on January 3, 2016 and the cold was at its peak at that time. I died but resurrected; that was all I can say.

“My experience in the desert was a child’s play compared with the inhuman treatment metted on me by my Burga (trafficker), who was from my town and lived on same street with me.

“Despite my illness as a result of the harsh weather in the desert, my trafficker forced me to be deflowered on the day I entered Libya by fixing me up with a client.

“To God who made me, I used by body (engaged in prostitution) to pay my trafficker a total sum of N4.5 million.

“The worst part of my experience was the mental instability I found myself in, This was due to various trauma I passed through in the hands of my trafficker who took nine of us out of Akungba.

“Of the nine, I am the only one back home due to my ill health. Though I thank God that I am recuperating fast.

“Any time I suffered anxiety or anger, the mental illness will resurface. I cannot ask my enemies to embark on any journey out of Nigeria to seek any non-existing job. At all.

“Our people are our enemies, they deceive us to leave Nigeria,” said Blessing.

The returnees were received on behalf of the Federal Government by the Director General of National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Alhaji Mustapha Ahmed.

Ahmed was represented by the Lagos Territorial Office Coordinator, Ibrahim Farinloye.

He the returnees were 80 adults male, eight male children and two male infants.

Others are 30 adult females, four female children and four female infants.

Other agencies at the reception were the Nigerian Immigration Service, Federal Ministry of Health, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPITIP, the Nigeria Police and other relevant agencies. (Vanguard)