How 233 blacks were shot dead in my presence – Libyan returnee narrates

Lucky Iyamu a 42-year-old man from Edo state on Tuesday explained how he narrowly escaped death when he was shot at by armed militia in Libya.

Iyamu spoke to PUNCH shortly after he and 333 other returnees were received by the Edo State Government in Benin.

He said he made up his mind to travel to France through the North African country when he could no longer provide for his family.

The father of two from the Uhunmwonde Local Government Area of the state, who was received by his little son on arrival in Benin, disclosed that the journey cost him N850,000.

Iyamu explained, “I left Nigeria on July 19, 2017. I just decided to go through Libya because I wanted to travel to France to make more money. I used to be a cameraman but the work was not moving.

“I have a family; I am taking care of my mother, a wife and two kids. I spent N850,000. The experience in Libya was very barbaric. The very day I was arrested, 233 blacks were shot dead in my presence in Shabashirim by the Libyan police and army.”

He added that he survived by sheer luck as he did not think that he would return to Nigeria alive after he and 23 others were arrested and locked up in an underground prison.