After Deaths of 26 Nigerians N’Assembly Demands Urgent Action against Illegal Migration
The National Assembly yesterday called on the Federal Government to intervene through its relevant agencies to stem the tide of youths migration to Europe.
The National Assembly yesterday called on the Federal Government to intervene through its relevant agencies to stem the tide of youths migration to Europe. In seperate session, the Senate yesterday called on the federal government to set up an inter-agency committee comprising the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigerian Immigration Service, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and any other relevant agencies to immediately work out a strategy to stem the tide of illegal migration to Europe.
This is as the legislative body condemned the death of 26 Nigerian teenage migrants whose bodies were found on a Spanish war ship.
The Senate also directed its Committee on Foreign Affairs, Diaspora, and Special Duties to investigate the unfortunate incident.
Commending Italian prosecutors for working towards unravelling the horrific murders, the Senate expressed concern at reports that about 10,000 Nigerians have died along the Sahara desert Libya Mediterranean Sea route as at May 2017.
Corroborating with the Senate’s decision, the House of Representatives also yesterday passed a resolution mandating its Committee on Foreign Affairs to liaise with the Ministry and Libyan Government to unravel cause of incident which led to the death of 26 Nigerian women.
Senator Rose Oko (Cross River PDP) who sponsored the motion on the matter said it was horrifying that the teenage girls are suspected to have been sexually abused and then murdered.
“Alarmed that most of these young persons have under gone several hazards ranging from the searing heat and biting cold of the Sahara desert, the marauding Tuareg bandits, assaults, abuse and rape; and the dangerous sea waves often on rickety rubber boats,” Oko said.
The senator lamented that the economic hardship in Nigeria caused by unemployment has contributed to the mass exodus.
“I strongly believe that it is time to go beyond the mere feeling of horror to taking pro-active, urgent and emergency measures to address the root causes of the exodus,” she added.
In the same vein, the House of Representatives also passed a resolution mandating its Committee on Foreign Affairs to liaise with the Ministry and Libyan government to unravel cause of incident which led to the death of 26 Nigerian women at the Mediterranean sea.
It followed a motion moved under “Matter of Urgent Public Importance,” by the Leader of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos).
He said reports indicated that there were over 50 persons that were traveling in the Ill-fated boat and queried what could have led to the tragic loss of lives of 26 Nigerians.
Members however, took turns to vent their concern on the possible cause and circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Gbajabiamila said: “It is a motion that involves the death of 26 young Nigerians at a sea. You are all aware that just a few days ago, 26 bodies were found. News filtered in that they were Nigerians. We were made to understand that there were about 70 persons but 26 died. They were Nigerians.