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‘ I want Nigerian leaders to emulate Pastor TB Joshua who has been helping most of us’ – Libya Deportee
BENIN CITY
Imasuen Richie was one of the youngmen who left Nigeria for Libya in 2016 with a view to finally land in Europe in search of greener pastures. But sadly, he found himself inside the Libyan prison after he was sold as a slave. It was in that situation that he met CNN crew who came into the prison where he narrated his ordeal and that of other Nigerians in prison.
Just last month, the CNN crew visited Edo state to do a report on Human Trafficking and also spoke to Richie. Richie who is now working in a barbing saloon to make ends meet as well as assist his mother and younger ones narrated his experience in Libya to Saturday Vanguard.
He also spoke about the curse placed by the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare 11 on human traffickers. Excerpts:
Can you tell us why you decided to leave Nigeria in the first place? I left Nigeria in July 2016. I was actually heading to Europe but when I got to Libya, the person I paid money to did not deliver it to the driver who took me there. So the driver had to sell us into slavery in order to recover his money. I spent eight months in that camp which was like hell. They always beat up the men who could not provide them with money while our girls were forced into prostitution. I spent about one year and six months before I came back. My mother who did not have anything had to go and borrow N200,000 which I paid before I bought myself out of slavery. So it was a sad experience. I decided to travel because When I was growing up, It was only my mother who was taking care of me. My father was never there for us, I believe all he did was to bring me to this world. Only my Mum was doing everything and I knew that the stress was too much for her. So I thought about traveling to go and make money to help my family. Things were hard for us, it was difficult to feed or even go to school. I just felt I should leave so as to help. I never planned to return this way because I had a mission. But I am still grateful to God for making it possible for me to come back alive. Prison experience I was in prison before I went to the deportation camp. In the prison, I was maltreated and fed only once a day. I was in that Giran prison suffering and I was forced to even sleep with dead bodies. I thought I was going to die there but a miracle happened. In fact, it was even a Nigerian girl who saved me. When she was set free from the prison she insisted she would leave with her husband. She claimed that I was married to her, I did not even know until they came to me and pointed at me whether I was the one and I said yes. That was how I was released. From there they took us to the deportation camp.
You said you were sold into slavery in Libya, how did it happen?
The slave business in Libya was being masterminded by our fellow Nigerians. I even saw one Nigerian man who sold his own cousin into slavery. When someone had been sold to a particular camp, that person would have to call his relations in Nigeria to send money in order to be free from slavery. In my own case, they bought me for N110,000 and they asked me to pay N200,000 to secure my release. It is a big business for Nigerians who are into it there but It is a crime against God and humanity. They are wicked people.
Did you try to cross the Mediterranean sea
Imasuen Richie Yes I tried crossing, in fact I was in the camp near the sea before the Libyan militias stormed the place and arrested all of us. They took some of us to prison while some escaped.
What is your reaction to the curse placed on human traffickers by the Oba of Benin?
I believe that the Oba´s curse will help because I am aware that the girls always took oath before they were sponsored abroad. Almost all the girls I met in Libya told me how they took oath before they came. I am very happy with the curse because Nigerians over there were wicked to their fellow citizens. From what I have heard, the Oba´s curse will check their wickedness. But we also have some of these girls who on their own wanted to travel out to help their families. Some of them were also from poor homes and they had seen people who traveled abroad and made money through prostitution. So the idea was that instead of embarking on prostitution here in Nigeria it would be better to go abroad where more money would be made. It was not all of them who were forced to go, some voluntarily asked the traffickers and it was only when they got there that they would see that it was not easy paying back such amount of money demanded by the women traffickers.
So what have you been doing since you came back?
I have been working at a barbing salon and at the end of the day I split the money into three and give the owner of the shop two parts while I take one part. That is what I use to assist my mother and younger ones. I was 20 years old when I traveled. I want Nigerian leaders to emulate Pastor TB Joshua who has been helping most of us. I met him severally and he has been of great help to me and my family. When we went there initially with my group, he gave us N1.6 which we shared. And apart from that he still picked three of us aside and gave me additional N200,000 and that was the money I used to clear the debt owed by my mother which she sent to me when I bought myself out of slavery in Libya. I want to appeal to government to create jobs although it will be difficult to stop people from traveling because even if you learn a trade you will need electricity to work and it is not there. But if government can make electricity available, jobs will be created here and people will prefer to stay here than traveling out of the country. In Libya we had 24 hours power supply. If not for the crisis in Libya, I would prefer to work in Libya than working here in Nigeria.
If for instance I barb for six hours in Libya I would make at least N10,000. But if I work in Nigeria for a whole day, I can never make such amount of money. Even if I make the money here it will be used to buy diesel or fuel to power the generator. I will also like to commend Edo state government. I was trained on entrepreneurship but I am still waiting for the government to now empower us. I appeal to government to do what they promised us.
Why can’t you further your education? I wrote WAEC before I traveled but I have not collected the result. Honestly I would have loved to further my education but when I look at the situation in the family, my younger ones are there and no body is there to take care of them, so I had to sacrifice myself to assist them. If I decide to go to school now, I will be using the money I make to solve my school problem while my mother and my younger ones will be suffering.
Fellow Nigerians, and friends of Nigeria abroad,
They said the APC was not popular with the people. They said its strength was only in government houses, not in the marketplace, not in the villages, not in the hearts of men and women who rise each day to labor under the hot sun. Yet the people have now spoken, and their voice is louder than the rumors of social media, stronger than the whispers of drawing rooms.
In the bye-elections of this past weekend, sixteen seats were set before the people. Out of these, the APC took eleven, stretching across Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Taraba, Ogun, Kogi, Edo, Adamawa, and Niger. One more stands in contest, and there too the APC leads.
APGA secured two seats in Anambra. The PDP held one in Oyo. The NNPP claimed one in Kano. But the others—ADC, SDP, Labour—were nowhere to be found. Not a single seat fell their way.
So I ask: how do you define popularity? By the clamor on Facebook? By the trend on Instagram? By the fury of TikTok or the storms of X? No. Popularity in a democracy is measured by ballots cast, by hands inked, by real people walking to the polls to say with their vote: this is who we trust.
In America, they speak of midterm elections, a verdict passed halfway through a presidency. There, such elections measure the strength of the president and the staying power of his party. Nigeria has no midterm Congress. But these bye-elections, spread across thirteen states and five geopolitical zones, are our closest equivalent. And their meaning cannot be ignored.
Many thought the ADC, older in years than the APC, would rise with its new converts and prove itself a rival. Many thought the PDP would mount a strong wave. But the verdict of the ballot tells a different story. The PDP lives, but it fights to hold ground. The ADC, SDP, and Labour remain shadows, not yet substance. The NNPP, for all its color, remains a Kano river, not a national sea.
The APC, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has not only stood but has been endorsed. For all the cries, for all the bitter words against his reforms, the people have answered with their votes: they are willing to endure the hard medicine if it promises a better tomorrow.
What then is the road ahead? It is clear. The APC stands as the party to beat in 2027. The opposition must gather itself, must bind its wounds, must cease from fighting in fragments if it wishes to rise as a true alternative.
But for now, let it be recorded in the annals of our young democracy: that on the 16th of August, 2025, the Nigerian people spoke with ballots, not hashtags; with votes, not noise; with courage, not despair. And their verdict was plain.
The APC is not a party of rumor, but a party of the people.
The Lagos State Government, in its continued effort to promote cultural heritage and deepen tourism footprints, has concluded plans to host the Lagos Cultural Weekend.
A three-day cultural extravaganza, scheduled to take place across multiple strategic locations, including the J. Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, Freedom Park, National Theatre, Badagry Heritage Museum, Lekki Arts and Crafts Market, and Tafawa Balewa Square, from November 14th to November 16th, 2025.
This weekend-long celebration will spotlight the richness of Nigeria’s traditions through curated events that blend history, culture, and local artistry.
Speaking on the initiative, Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Mr. Idris Aregbe, noted that the event is a key part of a broader framework of the Lagos Cultural Mission.
“We aim to use the Lagos Cultural Weekend as a true reflection of Lagos culture, a herescope for tourists and visitors from across the globe to witness just how rich our culture is.
“The three days will be a cultural baptism, a deep, meaningful introduction to who we are. As a government, we now understand prioritising cultural representation as a driver for economic growth.
”On the initiative’s impact, the Special Adviser explained that it goes beyond showcasing culture, but investing in cultural artisans, talented enthusiasts, and key stakeholders to foster real engagement and growth.“Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration values collaboration and inclusiveness, which is why we want to work closely with Lagosians who truly understand our culture to help us achieve these goals.
“From the historians, to creatives, curators, artisans, culinary experts, performers, fashion designers, community leaders, and traditional institutions, we need them to join us in making a lasting impact.“So that, in the end, our guests and friends from many nations will carry home an authentic story of Lagos and enriched cultural literacy,” Mr. Aregbe said.
Attendees will enjoy array of activities, including live music performances, DIY sessions, contemporary art exhibitions, traditional dance showcases, fashion shows, culinary tastings, and craft demonstrations.
Also lined up are symposiums and cultural lectures designed for tourists and enthusiasts who wish to dive deeper into the Lagos cultural identity.
The weekend will be animated by diverse local performance groups representing the rich ethnic landscape of Lagos, with a special emphasis on language, literature, and indigenous storytelling.
Lagos Cultural Weekend 2025 reaffirms the state’s commitment to building a thriving creative economy while celebrating the depth of Nigerian traditions.
Through strategic partnerships, corporate sponsorships, and community engagement, this initiative will set a new benchmark for inclusive cultural programming in Lagos and Africa at large.
Lagos Cultural Mission….Preserving Our Heritage, Advancing The Future
Aare Adetola Emmanuel King Congratulates Hon. Adesola Ayoola-Elegbeji on Election Victory
The Chairman/CEO of Adron Group, Sir Aare Adetola Emmanuel King KOF, has congratulated Hon. Adesola Ayoola-Elegbeji on her resounding victory in the just-concluded by-election for the Remo Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives.
In a goodwill message issued by him, he described the victory as “a historic moment for the Remo people, coming at a time when the constituency yearns for a leader with vision, courage, and genuine commitment to service.”
He noted that the outcome of the election was an attestation to the trust and confidence reposed in Hon. Ayoola-Elegbeji by the people, adding that her sterling qualities, integrity, accessibility, and compassion for the grassroots had endeared her to the electorate.
“The overwhelming support you garnered at the polls is proof that you are the right voice at the right time to carry the aspirations of Remo to the national stage,” he stated.
While acknowledging that the by-election followed the painful demise of the late Hon. Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga (Ijaya), Aare Adetola Emmanuel King said Hon. Ayoola-Elegbeji’s emergence symbolizes the continuity of purposeful representation. He expressed confidence that she would not only sustain the legacy of her predecessor but also surpass it with new energy, innovative ideas, and progressive leadership.
The Adron Group Chairman further prayed for divine wisdom, strength, and compassion for the Member-Elect as she assumes office, expressing confidence that her tenure will usher in meaningful development, economic empowerment, and greater opportunities for the people of Remo Federal Constituency.
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