Now wey dem don come back to Nigeria: Libyan waka people tell dem tori

“E no easy at all. I get hairdressing business wey dey do well before I waka go Libya. But I don loose everytin. I also lose my mama and my 11 year old son, when I no dey around. Wen dem no fit reach me, my mama die of heart attack, while my son die as nobody dey around to take care of im. But, I tank God I come back alive. I go start again.; I believe say I fit make am for Nigeria. No more waka comot for the country.”
Naomi, 30 years old.

Naomi dey inside a reintegration training programme for Lagos wey de European Union (EU) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) sponsor togeda wit de Federal Government of Nigeria. Na she wit oda participants talk about deir experiences about how dem take enter back into life for Nigeria after dem send dem back home.

De EU, IOM and de Federal Government of Nigeria programme dey work to epp make over 10,000 Nigerians enter back into life for Nigeria wen dem send dem back home after dem fail plenty times to waka abroad to Europe.

Plenty Nigerians wey waka on illegal waka abroad to Europe dey imagine say deir lives go become better well well wen dem reach where dem dey go. Unfortunately, de truth for plenty of dem dey very different. Many of dem die for road. Dose who make am reach where dem dey go face plenty problems and dey wish to waka go back home, but dem dey feel stranded and no fit comot. Odas dey get sent home sharply.

Many of de people wey dem send back home get business wey good before dem comot for de waka and dem don leave behind how dem fit dey make moni for promise of better life wey never happen and dem dey end up with no moni or dem dey owe plenty moni.

Wen dem don dey back in Nigeria, na more frustration dey face dese waka come back people and dem dey find am difficult to fit into where dem don leave before wen dem go find sometin better.

Thirty two year old Ubo from Akwa Ibom State talk say, life don become so bad, and he wan even kill imself when he come back Nigeria.

“I waka come back on May 11, 2017, and since den life don dey very tough. I don dey near to commit suicide. I wan end am finish and as I no sabi where to start again. I waka com back wit nothing; I loose everythin. I wan thank de EU and IOM for dis opportunity,” he said.

Photo source: TMP. Jubilant returnees at the reintegration training programme in Lagos

TMP – 18/05/2018