Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central has moved a Senate motion urging the Federal Government to urgently initiate diplomatic and humanitarian efforts to repatriate Nigerian women and children currently held in Libyan detention centres. The motion was seconded by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, and adopted unanimously.
In her speech, Akpoti-Uduaghan said many of these detained persons are victims of human trafficking. Some had escaped abuse, only to be arrested in Libya. Reports indicate that some women have given birth while in custody, and that children are being raised in these harsh environments without adequate protection.
The Senate called on the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to work with Libyan authorities and international partners to secure safe returns. It also urged for the establishment of rehabilitation and reintegration programs for returnees, including psychosocial support, economic empowerment, and legal protection.
Human rights groups supporting the motion referenced reports from Amnesty International and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which document widespread human rights abuses, deplorable conditions in detention facilities, and lack of due process for many foreign detainees in Libya. The Senate resolution frames this as not only a humanitarian imperative but also a matter of Nigeria’s international obligations.