How I bought freedom with N250,000, my leg amputated – Libya returnee

One of the recent Libya returnees, Endurance Omeyo has lamented how his leg was amputated and how he bought freedom with N250,000.

Omeyo from Uromi in Edo State said he went to Libya in 2016, after he lost his father and was frustrated.

He recounted how he got arrested while fleeing Libya on his way to Italy and had to bail himself with sum of N250,00 from a friend to buy his freedom.

Upon his release, he was shot while with some friends and had his leg amputated.

He was among 245 more Nigerians who voluntarily returned from Libya on Tuesday night
Omeyo who spoke to reporters said: “I come from a very poor home. I lost my father about 12 years ago and only my mother was left to be facing the stress.

“That is why I went to Libya to cross the sea and go to Italy, but unfortunately, I couldn’t make it as we were arrested while on the sea.

“We were 160 people on that boat but 110 died and only 50 of us survived. They now took us back to prison in Libya.”

According to him, he spent over a month in captivity before a friend from Italy sent him N250, 000 which he used to buy his freedom from his captors.

The 28-year-old said a few weeks after, he was shot while in company of two friends, which led to the amputation of his leg.

“I spent months in the hospital, until my mother went to borrow N400, 000 which was used to perform three surgeries on me and that is why I am alive today,” he disclosed.

The returnees were assisted back to Nigeria by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the European Union (EU) after expressing interest to leave Libya where they had been stranded enroute Europe.

They comprised 66 adult females, 74 adult males, four children and six infants.