Italy arrests Libyan, Egyptian over death of 26 Nigerian women

Two men, one of them an Egyptian and the other a Libyan,have been arrested and charged in Italy as investigators look into the deaths of 26 Nigerian women and girls, who are suspected to have been murdered while attempting to cross the Mediterranean.

The bodies of the women were brought to the southern Italian port of Salerno by the Spanish ship Cantabria on Sunday, and prosecutors opened an investigation over suspicions that the women, some as young as 14, may have been abused and killed.

The bodies were recovered by Cantabria, which works as part of the EU’s Sophia anti-trafficking operation, from two separate shipwrecks – 23 from one and three from the other. Fifty-three people are believed to be missing.

The men arrested have been named as Al Mabrouc Wisam Harar, from Libya, and Egyptian Mohamed Ali Al Bouzid.

The pair are believed to have skippered one of the boats. They were identified by survivors who were among the 375 brought to Salerno by Cantabria.

An autopsy on the bodies should be completed over the next week.

Salerno prefect Salvatore Malfi told the Italian press that the women had been travelling alongside men and when the vessels sank, “unfortunately, the women suffered the worst of it.”

But in response to concerns that the women were being trafficked for the sex trade, he added: “Sex trafficking routes are different, with different dynamics used. Loading women on to a boat is too risky for the traffickers, as they could risk losing all of their ‘goods’ – as they like to call them – in one fell swoop.”

Marco Rotunno, an Italy spokesman for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), said his colleagues were at the port in Salerno when the bodies were brought in.

“It was a very tough experience,” he said. “One lady from Nigeria lost all her three children.”

He added that 90% of migrant women arrive with bruises and other signs of violence.

“It’s very rare to find a woman who hasn’t been abused, only in exceptional cases, maybe when they are travelling with their husband. But also women travelling alone with their children have been abused.”

Most of the survivors were either Nigerian or from other sub-Saharan countries including Ghana, Sudan and Senegal.

The survivors brought to Tripoli also included Nigerians and Senegalese.

“I wanted to reach Italy. I don’t know what to do now,” said Dora Omoruyi, a 23-year old arts student from Benin, Edo state, known as hub for human traffickers to smuggle women to Italy where they often end up as prostitutes.

“I see no future in Nigeria, there are no jobs,” she said, standing next to a group of weeping Nigerian survivors.

The survivors were among over 2,560 migrants saved over four days. People still continue to attempt the crossing despite a pact between Italy and Libya to stem the flow, which led to a drop in arrivals by almost 70% since the summer, according to figures released last week by Italy’s Interior Ministry.

Bravo123:

Dora Omoruyi, the 23-year-old lady from Edo state, South-South Nigeria one of the survivors of the Mediterranean shipwreck that claimed the lives of 26 young African ladies has told Italian authorities that she does not wish to return to Nigeria...

https://alabingo.com/2017/11/i-dont-want-to-return-to-nigeria-says-dora-omoruyi-who-survived-after-26-others-died/

Tolexander:
Edo girls and Italy!


hmmm

MetaPhysical:
There was a time we will miss home and save money to go home and enjoy the naija scene and party. Now people dread home.

adadike281:
Even if na me, I no go ever comeback to this Buhari government. Nigeria is blind, lame and deaf at d same time.

Bravo123:
Dora Omoruyi, the 23-year-old lady from Edo state, South-South Nigeria one of the survivors of the Mediterranean shipwreck that claimed the lives of 26 young African ladies has told Italian authorities that she does not wish to return to Nigeria...

https://alabingo.com/2017/11/i-dont-want-to-return-to-nigeria-says-dora-omoruyi-who-survived-after-26-others-died/

Caseless:


Whether you like it or not, you must return back. We are in this together. You can't leave us like that- it's unfair.

Oya, Oga Italian police, help me return that yeye girl. She's being disloyal.

Obaseki right now trying to welcome her.

Ishilove:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDjfd-7pobQ

His Excellency the executive governor, of Edo State, Comrade Adams Aliu Oshiomole, and our dear mother Hajia Aisha Oshiomole, His excellency the deputy governor of Edo state and his able and beautiful wife, the wife of our ... the wife of the chairman of our great party Mrs Oyegun, our zonal national woman leader, our state woman leader, the wives of the governors with me and the wives of the former governors that are with me, and the ones that we met here.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, we are here in Edo to see my sisters and mothers. The moment the executive governor started introducing some women to me, I know* that I am in the right place and I met the right APC women. ((crowd cheers)) This is what is called digital! These are digital women! I am so delighted to be here and I am overwhelmed by the reception I got from the women of Edo state.

We are not here to campaign but to say a very good thank you, a very very big thank you to my sister the wife of the deputy governor, the commissioner for women affairs, the wife of the chairman of the party, the zonal woman leader, and the state woman leader for the job well done they’ve been doing in educating the electorate in Edo state.

In each zone of the country we have peculiar problems; our problems differs*. For me in this zone, girl-child trafficking should be considered one of our problems, though I know there is unemployment. The unemployment is the major factor that contributes to brain drain and also the girl-child trafficking. General Muhammadu Buhari is a leader, he was a leader, he led Nigeria some decades ago, and he is coming back now to sanitise the system.

For those that are campaigning, saying that he is coming to jail Nigerians, I don’t know what their fear*, but they shouldn’t because we are all yearning for change. The insecurity of the country, the very very very bad healthcare system, lack of education and other basic necessities that people are lacking. I think they need somebody like him now, and already some years back he have* been contesting. They have painted him black using religion. I’m happy today Nigerians discovered that they use religion as a cover to loot Nigeria to nonsense*. They’ve grounded the country. Whoever talks to you about religion in this country, a politician that can talk to you about religion, he is a liar. He is a liar, he wants to loot! He wants to loot the little resources you supposed* to enjoy, so say no to politics, comparing it, matching it with religion to deceive people.

I’m here today to let Edo women know that when my husband elected* into the office of the ... president of the federal republic of Nigeria, all these are going to be history. The insecurity, the girl-child trafficking, suffering of the widows in the south-east will come to an end. There must be a design, a cultural design that can accommodate the widow, and then a design that can make the girl-child comfortable wherever she is in this country. She doesn’t need to leave her country to go and prostitute elsewhere. It is not her portion. Her portion is to have a moral, a highly standard* moral society for her to live, get married, have children, train them ... train them and also mould them to become the future of our leaders*.

We’re here today to also educate you and to let you know that the collection of PVCs is important. You collect your PVC and don’t sell it. Don’t ever sell it. Don’t ever sell it; it’s like selling your future again. When you sell it for five thousand, you won't see five thousand* again till after four years, which is too bad for you. Get your PVC, vote for APC, vote for freedom, vote for new Nigeria. Good security, good education, good health care, good road* and all the basic necessities should be given to you.

I thank you all for being here this afternoon, being under the sun for hours waiting to see me. Thank you so much, I love you all. Thank you, thank you so much.

Last week ... sorry last week we lost a sister, a mother, a former woman leader, Mrs Modinat Omoduwa. Can we have a one minute silence* for her…
((8 second pause))
May her soul rest in perfect peace. Thank you so much.

APC!! APC!! APC!! Edo!! Edo!! Nigeria!!

God bless you all.

* -> Verbatim