I’m Not Afraid Of Water, Death, Says Nigerian Migrant Vitoria

Related stories

Kenya Plans to Launch Crude Oil Exports in 2026

Kenya hopes it will begin commercial crude oil production...

Maryam Abacha Drops Jabs At Gen Abdulsalami, Says Billions Stolen After Abacha’s Death

By Abiola Olawale Maryam Sani Abacha, widow of late Nigerian...

Tinubu: Presidency Replies Peter Obi, Says He Is Blind To Realities

By Abiola Olawale The Presidency has accused Peter Obi, the...

How Boko Haram Attacked Ex-COAS Buratai’s Convoy, Escapes Death In Borno — Reveals Ndume

By Kolawole Ojebisi The lawmaker representing Borno South in the...

Gambaryan Quits Binance After Brush With Nigerian Government

By Kolawole Ojebisi Months after regaining his freedom from the...

A Nigerian female migrant, identified as Vitoria, who was among the over 100 migrants rescued last week  by Medecin Sans Frontieres and SOS Méditerranee chartered Aquarius ship, has told newsmen why she decided to risk the perilous crossing from Libya into Italy.

“I was not afraid of the water, because God created the water. I’m not afraid of death. We all die one day. I’m more afraid if the Libyan police were to catch me again, because they are so wicked,” the 21 year-old Nigerian said.

Vitoria was in the the group of migrants  to arrive at Sicilian city Catania on Thursday, which included six women, 32 teenagers and six children. It could not be ascertained the number of other Nigerians in the group.

She  told the AFP that she had been in Libya for just over a year before setting off last weekend.

She said that she had spent nearly six months in dreadful conditions in a Libyan prison after a failed first crossing last year. The country’s notorious detention centres have been blasted by human rights groups and the United Nations as “inhuman.”

Vitoria was one of those who had been on the Aquarius rescue ship, chartered by SOS Méditerranee and Medecins Sans Frontieres, since Monday night, after being saved on Sunday by a smaller boat — the Astral — run by a Spanish NGO following a call from the Italian coastguard.

More than 100 migrants were rescued off the coast of Libya in the operation, but they became stranded  in the central Mediterranean for three days during a diplomatic standoff between Rome and London.

Rome decided this week to allow the 105 people to land in Italy following a back-and-forth with British authorities over who should take them. Nearly 700,000 people have landed on Italian shores since 2013.

The crew on the first boat had been told that Libya was coordinating the rescue operation, meaning that the migrants were to be taken back to the North African country.

However when the Astral met the migrants on Sunday the Libyan coast guard were nowhere to be found and didn’t respond to radio calls. At that point they decided to take them on board, and that’s where the standoff began.

As it was not officially coordinating the rescue, Rome asked London to deal with the migrants as the Astral bears the Union flag. On Sunday night London asked the Astral to transfer them to the Aquarius, which flies the flag of Gibraltar.

The two ships met Monday morning about 30 nautical miles off the coast of Tripoli, but waited all day for written confirmation of the transfer from either London or Rome.

In absence of a response from London — the British coast guard told AFP that the incident wasn’t their responsibility — Rome authorised the transfer on Monday night, but waited until Tuesday night to give the go ahead for them to travel to Catania.

AFP

'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide's journalism works intersect business, environment, politics and developmental issues. Among a number of local and international publications, his work has appeared in the New York Times. He's a winner of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Award. Currently, the Online Editor at The New Diplomat, Akintomide has produced reports that uniquely spoke to Nigeria's experience on Climate Change issues. When Akintomide is not writing, volunteering or working on a media project, you can find him seeing beautiful sites like the sandy beaches that bedecked the Lagos coastline.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

[tds_leads input_placeholder="Your email address" btn_horiz_align="content-horiz-center" pp_msg="SSd2ZSUyMHJlYWQlMjBhbmQlMjBhY2NlcHQlMjB0aGUlMjAlM0NhJTIwaHJlZiUzRCUyMiUyMyUyMiUzRVByaXZhY3klMjBQb2xpY3klM0MlMkZhJTNFLg==" pp_checkbox="yes" tdc_css="eyJhbGwiOnsibWFyZ2luLXRvcCI6IjMwIiwibWFyZ2luLWJvdHRvbSI6IjQwIiwiZGlzcGxheSI6IiJ9LCJwb3J0cmFpdCI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMTUiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMjUiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sInBvcnRyYWl0X21heF93aWR0aCI6MTAxOCwicG9ydHJhaXRfbWluX3dpZHRoIjo3NjgsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMjAiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMzAiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sImxhbmRzY2FwZV9tYXhfd2lkdGgiOjExNDAsImxhbmRzY2FwZV9taW5fd2lkdGgiOjEwMTksInBob25lIjp7Im1hcmdpbi10b3AiOiIyMCIsImRpc3BsYXkiOiIifSwicGhvbmVfbWF4X3dpZHRoIjo3Njd9" display="column" gap="eyJhbGwiOiIyMCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTAiLCJsYW5kc2NhcGUiOiIxNSJ9" f_msg_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_input_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_btn_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_family="downtown-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_weight="700" f_btn_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_transform="uppercase" btn_text="Unlock All" btn_bg="#000000" btn_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxOCIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjE0IiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxNCJ9" input_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjEyIiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxMCJ9" pp_check_color_a="#000000" f_pp_font_weight="600" pp_check_square="#000000" msg_composer="" pp_check_color="rgba(0,0,0,0.56)" msg_succ_radius="0" msg_err_radius="0" input_border="1" f_unsub_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_msg_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_weight="500" f_msg_font_weight="500" f_unsub_font_weight="500"]

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
Kenya Plans to Launch Crude Oil Exports in 2026Maryam Abacha Drops Jabs At Gen Abdulsalami, Says Billions Stolen After Abacha’s DeathTinubu: Presidency Replies Peter Obi, Says He Is Blind To RealitiesHow Boko Haram Attacked Ex-COAS Buratai's Convoy, Escapes Death In Borno --- Reveals NdumeGambaryan Quits Binance After Brush With Nigerian GovernmentDrama as Tinubu’s Aide, Aliyu Audu ResignsNigerians Have Behaved Badly For 'A Very Long Time', LP's Alex Otti Backs Tinubu's Fuel Subsidy RemovalOne Third Of Dangote Refinery Crude From US as Scarce Local Supplies Stall Refinery's Capacity, Says BloombergTinubu Running Govt. of 'Propaganda And Lies', Says Peter Obi2027: Ijaw Group Threatens To Prevent Election In Warri If...Sanwo-olu Breaks Silence On Alleged Rift With Tinubu, Calls President 'Father And Leader'Tinubu Tells Sanwo-Olu At Lagos Peace Meeting: "All is Forgiven"Pope Leo XIV Urges Faithful to Open Borders, Break Down Barriers, Embrace LoveJune 12: Tinubu To Address Senate, Reps Joint Session On Democracy DayNUT Speaks On Why FG's Planned Computer-based Examinations Won't Curb Malpractices
X whatsapp