By RFPosted on 20-08-2018Modified on 20-08-2018 at 03:49

Edo State is the territory of Nigeria from where hundreds of young and old migrate every week to different migration routes. For decades, real networks have organized and supervised the course and, in many cases, human trafficking. For just over a year, Nigeria, with the help of the International Migration Office (IMO), has chartered planes to facilitate the return of Nigerian migrants who are in distress.

At Lagos International Airport, passengers from Libya are getting impatient. Seven women and 153 men are waiting in a row in a no-go area. Usually, here are unloaded freight and postal flights. These returnees wear a hooded sweat suit in light gray, dark gray, navy blue or black.

A medical box over the shoulder, Nathaniel Bagadoji is wearing a fluo yellow vest. Tonight is the 32nd special flight he welcomes in less than a year. " We are used to these voluntary" ghosts ". We know how they behave and how they can react. And they sometimes react violently but we know how to talk to them. It's not always easy to manage. But we are happy to see our compatriots returning alive from Libya. "

Nathaniel works for Edo State. Like him, five other agents are also there. Members of the service against the human trafficking, they guide the first steps in Nigeria of these voluntary ghosts .

" It is from the information gathered on these tables that we can help you. It is among the people whose names will be on the list that the authorities or the vice-president will choose the people they will help. So if you are not identified, they will not choose you. And when they come to recruit people from you, you can be sure that you will not be part of it. "

Each of the 160 migrants was given the naira equivalent of € 97. Fifty rode in the three minibuses chartered by the state of Edo, heading for the state capital: Benin City.

The testimony of a "ghost"

Located in this southern Nigerian port, Ivie Agbonwaneten has been supported since her voluntary return from Libya. She obtained an allowance allowing her to pay six months' rent for the hairdressing salon she opened in Benin City. Aged about twenty years, Ivie knows herself very fragile, because regularly, she receives calls from her friends who managed to cross the Mediterranean.

She explains what drove him to begin this journey to Europe. " One of my friends recommended me to the boss. The latter asked me to follow a smuggler, and that I should not worry, because this man was going to guide me to her in Europe. She told me that she was a hairdresser and that she needed help, someone who would associate with her to do the job. "

But quickly, the trip takes a disastrous turn. Ivie tells the crossing of the desert and his Calvary Libyan. " When we were in the desert, we saw militiamen who wanted to kill us. But thanks to God, they just let us go on our way after stripping us of everything we had as money. "

" Then, when we arrived in Libya, we were in the town of Sabha and we asked the smuggler to come and help us to orient ourselves but he refused," she continues. Two weeks later, we were kidnapped while heading to Benghazi. And that's how I understood it was hell. We were about 450 ... "

Now that she has returned to Nigeria, she feels safer and is slowly getting back on her feet. " Since returning to Nigeria, I can say that I have gotten back to sleep. In Libya it was impossible to close the eye, because anything could happen there . Libyans could land at any time with their guns and storm the scene. So, it's impossible to sleep in Libya. But since I'm in Nigeria, I sleep now at night. I am at peace and peace of mind. "

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