LIBYA SLAVE TRADE: What you don't know

Slave, Slavery, scores of death, torture, Mediterranean sea, desert, Libya.. I know that is the lyrics of the song that tens and thousands of us has been singing and listening to for more than a month now. It's all over social media, in fact Facebook has made it so informative by creating a picture frame of the awareness to the world.

If you even watch the football matches played over the weekend, so many players who scored, their goal celebration style was such that depicted solidarity for the world government to step into it, in the likes of Manchester United Paul Pogba, by crossing his hands, amongst others.

Many people have been waiting for my take on the issue going on concerning this slave trade happening in Libya. I've been on silence on this issue for no other reason than to get a deep forehand information on this heart breaking, spirit maiming, and mental derailing issue. And thanks for CHRISTICLE who took a deep risk to get a forehand information on the trending issue. He had a live documentary show online, has he ventured into the nukes and crannies of Libya while he risked his own life just to source for the right information for the deep rooted archaic act that has been ongoing for a while now in that part of the continent.

In the documentary, there were three major things which he brought to my notice:
1. The slaves been sold are immigrants from another country like Nigeria, Cotedevoire, Ghana, Uganda, and the likes.
2. Libya has no government.
3. No source of income for the people.

This is definitely a barbaric act that should be condemned by the world. Well many say this is happening due to what happened to Gaddafi some years back. As I gathered, Gaddafi happened to be providing free education, free medical care, monthly stipends for unemployed youths, etc. And the people claimed, he was forcefully removed due to the fact that he was trying to make gold his country's medium of exchange, his own currency, thereby reducing the value rate of gold in the world. Whatever was/is the reason is best known to those acclaimed to have triggered his execution.

Remember I highlighted 3 major facts drawn from the documentary. The first fact is that, the slaves are illegal migrants from other countries. These migrants are those who want or are going to European countries like Italy, illegally. Now, the question is, what happen to their own country?

If you ask me, na who I go ask?

Many of the interviewed people claimed they are/were tired of their country. They claimed their country's government is doing them no good so they had to take it upon themselves to move out in search of a greener pasture, but the greener pasture turned out to be a deadly adventure!

I know this my article might trigger lots of questioning from people, but let's be realistic and rational. I've been hearing of illegal migration since when I was in my mother's womb (hyperbolic statement). Even as small as I was, I read and heard how many people died in the desert, on the Mediterranean sea while embarking on the journey to those European countries. Even WAP Tv. (Super Story) some  years back, in order to enlighten the public, had to show one of their drama series to be themed around this prospect of illegal migration to look for a greener pasture.

Yes I know the deed is done, but has the lesson being learnt?

You know I don't make unnecessary arguments unless I've got my evidence(s). These people who are being sold as slaves, remember I told you they are migrants. During the documentary timeline, I gathered that, some of the guys are from different countries, and they PAID for this illegal act. In this documentary, they interviewed so many of these migrants, acclaimed slaves. I happen to listen to three people interviewed who are full fledge Nigerians, two guys and a female.

One of the guys said he paid close to £2000 to have this trip. My brothers, my sisters, please, don't even use the current exchange rate of this currency, do the maths... I'm sure some of you just shouted OMG!! Yes exactly my point... Another guy said he paid #500,000 to process the migration. And the other lady also claimed the same, of paying such an exorbitant amount.

The lady said,

"Nigeria has gotten really bad, the country has deteriorated, there is no food and no job, I have three siblings to take care of, and my sick mother"

Yes, I empathise with you my sister, I know the country is bad, but I'm sure, your trip to the European country wasn't free, you must have paid, right? When you consider the exorbitant amount of money many people diverted into that trip then you'll be marveled and feel like slapping some of these people. Because I'm very sure there are 101 businesses that a much sensible individual can venture into with just #200k. Now, someone is saying the country is bad and you could afford close to a million naira to travel illegally.
You sha wan go abroad. Issokay!

Really, it's funny though, trust me it is. Yes the deed is done, but don't let us be sentimental. Some of them are victims of the slavery today because of greed, impatience, and covetousness. Even if they end up successfully migrating into those European countries, many of them turn to sex traders, end up being victims of human trafficking, drug baron and the likes, why because they don't have the documents to enter into such a country, so they have to do all they can to avoid being on the major places where they'll be caught and deported back to their country.

The second fact which I intensely drew from the documentary was that, since the overthrowing of Gaddafi, this country has not gotten another government. Military running their games, civilian running their shows. In fact, in the documentary, they were operating based on tribal councilship (tribesmen). 

There is an adage in my dialect, a country that has no law, there is no sin!

This their no-government status has led them to become poverty stricken nation, no source of income, no revenue to be generating. You know as my people said, when you're in the wilderness, with no food nor water, you'll be forced to become a cannibal! These guys are seeing Slave trading as their only source of income which they  have to embark on for survival, at the expense of other people's freedom as of their human rights.

Just as I said earlier on, the deed has been done. We call out to the world, to help abolish these barbaric act. I watched a video online of an escapee, who claim these slave traders have their hide outs, so they'll need some of these escapees to unleash their caves and bring them to justice.

To draw my conclusion, irrespective of our pleas and cries for help, I hope this will serve as a note of warning for others who has been clamouring to embark on this deadly illegal act.

Let he who has ears hear what the spirit is saying, oga, it's not the spirit talking again, we can see it with our own naked eyes... Be wise!

Let me give another shocker, one of the escapees who happened to be from Nigeria reoorted that, he was actually sold to the slade traders by another fellow Nigerian. He claimed he begged him to help, but his reply was "There is brother in the jungle". 

Even before this slavery came on board, many of these guys who embark on this journey doesn't live to tell the story. Out of 100% illegal migrants, just about 15 to 20% of them make it to these countries. Some die on the high sea, you really don't have an idea of the degree of the cold you get when you're on the sea. It's colder than a refrigerator that has been working for two days non-stop. Imagine that yourself and you expect everybody to make it? Or is it the desert crossing where you have rebels who have been ordered to shoot on sight? Or is it the wild animals that crosses their path that we should talk about?

My brothers, my sisters, nobody say you can't make it where you are today. It's a huge lesson to many today, but what heavy my heart is, the lesson is being learnt in a very hard way, a very disheartening way, inhuman way.

#Endslavery #Educateouryouths