Monday, September 28, 2026 - Investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo has warned Nigerians seeking to escape economic hardship through irregular migration that they could encounter more difficult conditions in Libya.
Soyombo, who is also the founder of Foundation for
Investigative Journalism, spoke during an interview on ARISE News on Sunday
while discussing his 47-day undercover journey from Kano through Niger to
Tripoli, where he documented the experiences of migrants travelling along the
Sahara Route.
He said some Nigerians facing economic deprivation may see
migration as an escape without fully understanding the conditions they could
encounter in Libya.
“You know, when you are trying to escape economic
deprivation, you think that any other option is good. The options in Libya are
worse,” Soyombo said.
He said some Nigerians who reach Libya become stranded after
running out of money and are forced to take jobs to survive while trying to
raise funds for another attempt to cross into Europe.
“What happens a lot of time is, they get to Libya, they
realise they can’t cross. They are stuck. They run out of funds. Then they have
to go into many jobs to at least be able to eat. Then they start saving to
cross,” he said.
Soyombo said irregular migrants in Libya also face
difficulties accessing normal financial services and may be vulnerable to
robbery because they have to keep their money in cash.
“But don’t forget, you’ve gone into Libya illegally because
Libya already criminalised irregular migration. You can’t open a bank account.
So you keep cash. Anyone can rob you,” he said.
He also described the conditions faced by migrants who take
up agricultural work in the desert, saying they can be exposed to extreme
temperatures and may not receive payment for their labour.
“The Nigerians who are in Libya are farming. Do you know the
temperatures in Libya? It’s a desert. The hottest Nigerian state I’ve been to
is probably Yobe,” Soyombo said.
He added, “The Agadir that was the start of the desert was
like 20 degrees centigrade to 32 degrees centigrade. In the desert, you are
talking temperatures of 40 and more as you go to farm.”
Soyombo also recounted an incident involving migrants who,
according to him, were taken to work on a farm and were not paid.
“We were stopped at a village. One Arab man came. And you
know, again, because I was on a mission, my eyes were everywhere. Once I saw
him approaching, I took to my feet,” he said.
He said those who could not escape were taken to the farm.
“The guys that were not fast, he conscripted them to the
farm. They worked for like three hours in this scorching sun. And he didn’t pay
them a dime,” Soyombo said.
According to him, the migrants were later robbed of their
money and taken back to work.
“The following day, he came back, went to a nearby hut,
passed them and said, why would you be a migrant and you have money? No
migrant, if you want money, go and work on the farm.”
“Robbed them, took their cash, took them to the farm and he
didn’t pay them a dime. Who were they going to complain to? He robbed them and
then he enslaved them,” he said.
Soyombo said he did not blame Nigerians who had travelled to
Libya, noting that some migrants he encountered told him they would not have
made the journey had they known the difficulties ahead.
“I don’t blame them, I will never sit anywhere and blame
anyone who has gone to Libya. Because on that trip, a lot of migrants told me,
oh, if I knew I would suffer this much, I wouldn’t come,” he said.
He said his investigation was intended to provide first-hand
information about the dangers associated with the journey and help Nigerians
make more informed decisions.
“So we have to help people to let them know how that Europe
they want to get is extremely difficult,” Soyombo said.
He also said the journey was more unpredictable than many
migrants realise, despite preparations and estimates about how long it could
take.
“So for instance, the first thing is that you can never
predict that journey. I spent six months preparing for this project. I was told
to budget 30 days. I ended up spending 47 days,” he said.
Soyombo said many migrants embark on the journey without
adequate information about the risks.
“So they embark on that journey not knowing how dangerous it
is. It’s far more dangerous than… It’s not a journey I would wish on my enemy,”
he said.
He added that documenting his experience was one way of
providing Nigerians considering the route with information about what they
could encounter.
“And for me, the most straightforward way to help them is to
say, this journey you’re about to go through, I went through it and have
documented it. These are photos, these are videos,” Soyombo concluded.
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