A Libyan returnee told a Federal High Court in Ibadan that she was enslaved in Libya as a commercial sex worker.
The woman made this known while testifying before Justice Uche Agomoh, in a case of alleged human trafficking instituted by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) against a businesswoman, Ayomide Philip.
”When I met Philip in Ibadan, she assured me that she will safely take me to Europe through Cairo to get a decent job.
“After paying the N10,000 she requested from me, Philip took me through Kano, Agadez, and Niger through the desert until we reached Tripoli.
“She then introduced me to her Arabian lover, named Abora and they both informed me that I must pay 5,000 Dinah, that is the Libyan currency if I want to get a job.
“I agreed with them and they got me a job as a housemaid and I was paid 1,800 Dinah which Philip seized from me,” she said.
She alleged that later on, Philip convinced her to engage in commercial sex work to earn more money to pay her debts.
“I worked in three different connection houses, where I made 6,000 Dinah.
”A Libyan businesswoman, known as Madam Aisha, owned one of the connection houses.
” I got tired of doing the work and I told Philip that I will not pay the 1,500 Dinah she and Abora had imposed on me.
“As a result, Philip threatened to kill me. Not long after that, I was arrested by Libyan immigration officials and deported to Nigeria in April 2017,” she said.
On her return, she said Philip’s mother begged her not to report the matter to the Nigerian authorities.
The witness tendered all the documentary evidence through the Prosecuting Counsel, Mrs Becki Jibo.
After listening to her testimony, Justice Agomoh, subsequently adjourned the suit until June 30 for defence.
