Temitope Arowolo, a victim of human trafficking in Lebanon, has advised young girls to work hard in Nigeria to realise their dreams as against traveling abroad for greener pastures.
Arowolo gave the advice on her return to Nigeria in company of 19 other victims on Saturday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
She said: “I am happy to be home.
“Going to Lebanon is like going to hell; nobody knows that will happen there.
“I advice girls to stay here in Nigeria and try to make it; the way the Lord puts them through, because going outside there was like a hell, not only in Lebanon.
“What I experienced in Lebanon, I pray even not for Satan to experience it.”
The News Agency of Nigeria recalled that a video of Arowolo circulated on the internet regarding the violation of her human rights and those of other foreign domestic workers in Lebanon.
Arowolo, 31, in the video said she was beaten by Mahmoud Zahran, the husband of her employer, Feyzeh Diab, on April 25 at a home where they live in Choueifat, South of Beirut, accusing her of stealing a phone.
She courageously exposed series of assault and sexual harassment from both Zahran and Diab, which attracted the attention of the Federal Government.
Receiving the victim, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora, Rep. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe (APC-Oyo), described Arowolo’s return as “a dream come true.”
Akande-Sadipe said the matter is not over as the committee would further investigate to unearth all that really happened.
She said: “Today, Temitope is back home.
“Unfortunately, I will not allow her show her face.
“The whole issue has not come to an end.
“We really want to understand what happened in court back in Lebanon.
“We are happy, she is happy to be back home.
“I hope this will be a sign to others young girls out there who want to go abroad for greener pastures to ensure that the circumstances they are going into are the expectations they have when they signed up for these agents.”
The lawmaker said the 9th House of Representatives made a commitment to Nigerians to fight human trafficking and it would continue to do so.
She said the committee had extracted commitment from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons to enforce all laws against travel agents facilitating human trafficking.
Also, among the returnees was Peace-Ufuoma Busari, who was advertised to be sold for $1,000 on social media.
Some of the returnees were pregnant, while one is physically challenged.
