After paying 500,000 to a man identified as Charles, Alex Otoide’s dreams of getting to Europe was finally becoming a reality. However, his dreams were cut short as he ended up in a Libyan jail.
Narrating his ordeal after returning from the Maghreb nation, the gaunt Alex said 25 other migrants died in the Sahara Desert. According to him, they were 55 that began the journey. He said that more than seven died from hunger and thirst in the Libyan prison.
"We were 55 that travelled from here to Libya, 25 people died in the desert. More than seven people died from hunger and thirst inside the prison,”Otoide said while speaking with journalists in a government camp in Benin City.
He said the agent, Charles, collected N500,000 from him only to end up in a Libyan jail.
Otoide said:“They sold about 20 girls in the night. I saw it. It was God that saved me.”
"I left Nigeria with N500,000. I spent six months in Libya jail after the man that took my money ran away.”
The returnee said that Charles has a transit camp in Libya for those who want to go to Europe through the Mediterranean. According to him, Charles normally goes back to Nigeria to cajole young people to move to Europe at a fee of about N500,000.
Further reports say after collecting the money, Charles usually abandoned them in Libya.
CNN had last month ran a report showing African migrants being sold in Libya.