Quest for greener pastures: Nigerians are auctioned off as slavesin Libya – CNN special report

A CNN Special report indicates that Nigerians were among would-be migrants auctioned off as slaves in Libya

$400 was enough to buy a life in these auctions

 

 

 

According to the report, the cable network decided to investigate after it came across a footage of slaves auctioning.

“Does anybody need a digger? This is a digger, a big strong man, he’ll dig,” the salesman, dressed in camouflage gear, says. “What am I bid, what am I bid?”

Buyers raise their hands as the price rises, “500, 550, 600, 650 …” Within minutes it is all over and the men, utterly resigned to their fate, are being handed over to their new “masters.”

The report further stated that most of the victims of the modern-day slavey are young people in quest of a better life in Europe. They are either running away from conflicts or economic hardship. However, recent clampdowns on the activities of human traffickers on the Libyan coast mean few boats are able to make the trip to Europe. The result? Human congestion in the hands of the traffickers who then resorted to auctioning off their goods to the highest bidder.

 

 

One of the victims identified as Victory told CNN that the ‘slaves’ are also subjected physical beatings and mutilations. In his own case, he said he was sold as a day labourer.

“I spent a million-plus [Nigerian naira, or $2,780],” he tells CNN. “My mother even went to a couple villages, borrowing money from different couriers to save my life.”

Victory also said that he was resigned to return home in the midst of his failure to migrate to Europe.

“I could not make it, but I thank God for the life of those that make it,” he says.

“I’m not happy,” he adds. “I go back and start back from square one. It’s very painful. Very painful.”

But he is very lucky if only he realised it, many have died on this quest as we reported, on the bodies of twenty-six Nigerians that were found recently on the sea attempting the same journey.

Furthermore, the CNN report corroborates an earlier statement released by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in April this year.

“IOM staff in Niger and Libya documented shocking events on North African migrant routes, which they have described as ‘slave markets’ tormenting hundreds of young African men bound for Libya,” the IOM statement had said.

The statement also mentioned the horrifying conditions of the would-be migrants.

 

 

The full report is available on the CNN website.

 

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