“When I Removed My Clothes and They Saw Cross Tattoo on Me, They Slapped Me” – Lady Shares Libya Ordeal
Yakubu Hope Oyiza, a victim of human trafficking, has opened up about the terrible things she went through while trapped in Libya.
During a conversation with Biola Adebayo Ent, Oyiza revealed that she was taken to Libya and was later detained by authorities there. Her story is one of pain, fear, and survival in a country where she had to hide who she really was.
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Oyiza said that one day, the prison officers declared they wanted to conduct a search on her and the other women held with her. What happened next left her shaken.
She explained that because Libya follows Islamic law, she had been careful to hide her Christian identity. She changed her name to Rukaya and told everyone she was a Muslim. Even when she was registered at the prison, she did so under this fake name.
But on this particular day, things took a bad turn.
Oyiza explained that the officers commanded her and the other inmates to remove their clothing. She had no choice but to obey. When she did so, they noticed a tattoo she has on her abdomen – a cross and a rosary.
READ: Remembering the 21 Christians Killed by Islamic State Militants on a Libyan Beach 11 Years Ago
According to her, they immediately slapped her and physically assaulted her.
In Oyiza’s own words: “They said they want to search us, that we should strip. Unfortunately for me, I have a tattoo of a cross and rosary on my belly. It is an Islamic country, I changed my name to Rukaya, even when I registered, I did so as Rukaya and told them I am a Muslim. So when I took off my clothes and they saw the tattoo of a cross and rosary on my belly, they slapped me.”
She did not go into details about what happened after that beating, but her story adds to the many accounts of Nigerians who have passed through Libya and faced harsh treatment. Her survival and return to Nigeria is a reminder of the dangers many face on the journey through that country.
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