I was once trafficked to Libya, says Obaseki

By Patrick Ahanor

Benin City

A Benin City-based cleric, Pastor Israel Obaseki, has urged support in the federal government efforts towards securing the release and repatriation of Nigerians in Libya prisons.
This was just as the cleric recalled how traffickers lured him to the North African country.
He stated this amidst growing concerns over reported modern day slavery, imprisonment and killings of Nigerians in Libya.
Obaseki, who is the General Overseer of Divine Grace of Glory Church International, condemned travelling to overseas by road, declaring that “it’s crime against humanity”
According to him, “woe to those pastors that pray for people who seek to travel to Europe by road,” adding that he had chased hundreds of people away coming for blessing to travel to Europe.
On his Libya trip, Obaseki said: “I got in touch with some group of people who promised to assist me in going to Europe.
“I accepted their offer, and sold out everything I had in my shop. I gave them the money and we embarked on the journey by road to Libya.
“…It was a horrible experience and a journey I will never support anyone to embark on.
“I gave my sponsor the money that will take me to Tripoli in Libya, but when we got to the place where we have to show our documents, my sponsor told me that my money had expired, that I needed to pay another money before I could join the group.
“He booked for others, he did not book for me, and right there I told myself that today I will rather die than see this guy get away with his antics.
“When we got to Libya, another struggle for survival started. It is not
a place to be, they have no regards for human life.
“One particular day, I was sitting in a place, no waster, no food, just praying to God to accept my soul. I went into trace, I saw a mad man telling me to leave this place and go back to my country if I do not want to die.”

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