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Trapped in Libya: Mercy’s Shocking Story

Published on Sep 4, 2025 • Education

Mercy Olugbenga, a Nigerian migrant, has shared how she was locked up in Libya and forced to donate blood for her employer’s sick mother.

She told her story on ARISE TV’s Sunrise Daily. Mercy explained that she sold family property to fund treatment for her ill mother. Later, she traveled to Libya after dropping out of school at 20, lured by promises of greener pastures.

Dream of Support Turns Into Slavery

Mercy, from Kabba in Kogi State, said she worked in Libya for four years. For the first 18 months, she earned nothing because she had to repay the trafficking agent ₦2.5 million.

“I was maltreated, I changed jobs, and at one point I was locked up in a house where my blood was taken without consent,” she recalled.

They Took My Blood Every Month

Her worst ordeal came at her last place of work. She was locked in a room for a year. Nurses visited monthly to take her blood.

At first, she thought it was routine. Later, she discovered her blood was used for transfusions for her employer’s mother.

“They locked every door before leaving. At first, I thought it was normal, but then I realized they needed my blood for their mum,” she said.

A Warning to Nigerian Youths

Mercy urged young Nigerians not to follow her path.

“I don’t want any girl or boy to go through what I went through. Please don’t follow this route,” she pleaded.

She appealed for help to return to university, which she left in 2018 at 300 Level.

Migrant Crisis Beyond Mercy

Her ordeal mirrors stories from other Nigerian returnees. In July, Victoria Abosede, another migrant, said she drank the same water as camels in Libya and worked as a maid.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reports that as of March 2025, at least 20,197 Nigerians stranded abroad have been brought home. Women and girls make up 88% of returnees.

NIDCOM’s Reaction

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chair of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), praised Mercy’s survival, calling her “one of the lucky ones”.

She warned youths that irregular migration is like “voluntary suicide.” Many Nigerians die in the desert or the Mediterranean Sea. Others remain missing.

She also commended President Bola Tinubu for creating NELFUND, a program that helps students like Mercy finish their education.

Credit: Punch, Allcbts

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