Libya Returnee Recounts Harrowing Desert Ordeal, Says Migrants Drank Urine to Survive

A 23-year-old Nigerian returnee from Libya, Endurance Daniel, has narrated the traumatic experiences she endured during her migration journey, revealing that she and other migrants were forced to drink their urine to survive in the Sahara Desert due to severe water shortages.

Speaking in an interview after her return to Nigeria under the assistance of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Daniel said she traveled to Libya with 52 other migrants in a single vehicle. According to her, seven people died during the journey as a result of the harsh conditions.

Daniel explained that she was persuaded to travel to Libya at the age of 17 after being promised employment opportunities and a better life. A family acquaintance convinced her mother that she could earn money quickly and improve her family's financial situation.

"We spent more than a month in the desert without water. To stay alive, we drank our urine. Eventually, some people could no longer urinate, and others even passed blood instead," she said.

She recalled that the bodies of those who died remained in the desert for days because the group had no means of burying them or moving elsewhere.

Upon arriving in Libya in 2019, Daniel discovered that the reality was far different from what she had been promised. She said her sponsor informed her that migrant women were generally limited to domestic work or prostitution.

"When I wanted to return home, I was told I had to repay the transportation costs first," she said, adding that traffickers often denied migrants access to phones to prevent them from contacting relatives who might help them return home.

Daniel further alleged that traffickers used threats and intimidation to control migrants, warning them that refusal to obey instructions could result in being sold into prostitution.

The returnee described how migrants endured hunger and poor living conditions in transit camps, where they were often given plain food with little nutritional value.

She also revealed that migrants were frequently hidden in vehicles and transported secretly to evade security checks and immigration authorities.

Despite her ordeal, Daniel expressed gratitude for the opportunity to return to Nigeria. She urged young Nigerians to thoroughly verify migration opportunities before embarking on dangerous journeys abroad.

"People should not believe everything they are told. What I experienced was completely different from the promises made before I left," she said.

Her story highlights the dangers of irregular migration and the exploitation many migrants face while attempting to seek better opportunities abroad. :::

This version is edited in a standard newspaper style with improved grammar, structure, and readability.