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How I Became A Slave In Libya – Nigerian Slave Trade Victim

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How I Became A Slave In Libya – Nigerian Victim

The Edo State indigene, whose emotion-laden interview with CNN’s Nima Elbagir in a Libyan deportation camp, was viewed by millions worldwide, shared his life-experiences in T.B. Joshua’s church on Sunday.

The young barber explained that his father died when he was just 11, adding that he struggled to sponsor himself through school along with his five siblings.

“When I was cutting the hair of one of my customer’s, he advised me to go to Europe where he promised I could earn a lot of money,” Mr. Imasuen recounted.

“I asked the man how much it would cost me. He said N350,000 but I said I only had N140,000 with me,” he said. Mr. Imasuen had been determinedly saving N10,000 monthly for over one year.



The man promised to ‘help’, not knowing that Mr. Imasuen was naively about to use his own hard-earned cash to sell himself into slavery.
Travelling by road on a tortuous journey through Niger, the young Nigerian explained how one of the vehicles in his convoy had a “terrible accident” in the Sahara Desert, killing 30 people instantly.

“Upon arriving in Libya, the driver said he had not been paid his money and we were sold into the slave trade in Sabha.” Mr. Imasuen said he and ten other Nigerians were ‘sold’ and then “locked up in one small room.” More than 200 slaves were kept inside that inhumane cell.

“They started beating me to call my mother to send money. That was when my mother learned I was not in Nigeria – because I did not tell her before I left,” he admitted.

The ransom they demanded – N200,000 – was simply too much for Mr. Imasuen’s poverty-stricken mother to raise.

“For months, I did not hear from her. They kept on beating me everyday and I fell sick. If I went to the toilet, I was shitting blood.”
Mr. Imasuen said he was beaten three times daily for eight gruelling months. That was his fate as a male.

For the ladies sold into slavery, “they would send them out to do prostitution before selling them to another person; I know of a girl there who was sold three times.”

According to him, most of the enslaved females fell pregnant “without even knowing the father of the child.”
When a picture of Mr. Imasuen’s emaciated condition was circulated in his local community, they managed to come together to raise the money to secure his freedom in March 2017.

After gaining his freedom, he attempted to travel to Tripoli, hoping to join the thousands of illegal migrants who would brave the sea to try and reach Italy by boat.

“I didn’t even get to Tripoli before I was caught and taken to prison. I met more than 10,000 Nigerians there. We only eat once a day there – one piece of bread. I would drink salt water.”

While suffering the horrific prison conditions, Mr. Imasuen hatched a plan to reach the deportation camp. He slipped a note into the female section of the prison, pleading that any of the ladies who was being taken for deportation claim he was their husband.

The ruse worked and Mr. Imasuen was taken to Tripoli’s main deportation camp – one step closer to being repatriated to Nigeria. It was there he granted an interview to CNN, he said.

“I decided to speak to them, hoping to get help but at the end, nothing came out of it,” he bemoaned. Through the intervention of the International Organisation for Migration, IOM, Mr. Imasuen was finally deported to Nigeria – with nothing but the clothes on his back to show for his “journey through hell”.

“Upon getting to Nigeria, I decided to come to T.B. Joshua because even before I left, I heard of the help he renders to others. I need prayer.”
Osazee Aghimie, another deportee, equally shared his own sorrowful tale, explaining how over 100 migrants died in the boat he was in after it capsized en route to Italy. He narrowly survived only to be thrown into prison and eventually deported.

T.B. Joshua, who had just returned from the Dominican Republic, gave the two men each N200,000. Mr. Imasuen could not hold back tears as he received the gift.

Mr. Joshua’s support to the duo is not an isolated instance. This week alone, the cleric gave over N4.4 million to Nigerians returning from Libya, and well over N100 million ($277,000) has been provided to them by The SCOAN since 2016.

SOURCE: Premium Times

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MUSIC

Ayra Starr Opens For Coldplay In Sold-Out Stadium Concerts

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Ayra Starr opens for Coldplay in sold-out stadium concerts | fab.ng

Grammy-nominated singer Ayra Starr is achieving new heights in her career as she joins the legendary band Coldplay on their Australian tour.

Currently, the Music of the Spheres 2024 World Tour has Coldplay headlining 11 dates across Australia and New Zealand.

First, Ayra Starr joins Zimbabwean singer Shone and Australian X Factor contestant Emmanuel Kelly as opening acts for the multi-award-winning group. Consequently, this opportunity allows her to perform in front of large international audiences.

Moreover, at their Coldplay concert at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, Ayra Starr energetically entertains thousands of fans. Specifically, she performs her hit single “Rush” and additionally thrills the audience with popular tracks from her sophomore album, ‘The Year I Turned 21’.

Her engaging stage presence and unique sound made an impression on Coldplay’s fans. Further marking yet another success for the Nigerian star, she continues to expand her global influence.

Adding to her impressive achievements, Ayra Starr features on Coldplay’s latest album, ‘Moon Music’. She collaborates with the band on the track “Good Feeling.”

This collaboration is particularly historic, as she becomes only the fourth woman to feature on a Coldplay track. Interestingly, she follows the likes of Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Selena Gomez, in the band’s nearly 30-year history.

Ayra Starr has enjoyed an exceptional 2024, which began with a historic Grammy nomination. Furthermore, this makes her the first Nigerian female lead artist to earn this recognition.

Her album, ‘The Year I Turned 21’, continued to build her commercial success with standout guest appearances from Nigerian stars Asake and Seyi Vibez, American R&B artists Giveon and Coco Jones, and Brazilian sensation Anitta.

Each collaboration has contributed to her global appeal, further establishing her as one of Africa’s top music exports.

Recently, Ayra Starr received nominations for the 2024 MTV EMAs in two categories—Best New Artist and Best Afrobeats.

As her global presence grows, she is set to represent Africa proudly at the awards show on November 10 in Manchester. This would mark another milestone in her remarkable journey.

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MOVIES

Showmax To Screen “Princess On A Hill” At AFRIFF 2024

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Princess on a Hill to screen at AFRIFF 2024 | fab.ng

In celebration of African storytelling, Showmax announces that its upcoming Nigerian Original drama, Princess on a Hill, will screen at the 13th edition of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) on Thursday, November 7, 2024.

Furthermore, the TV series brings a captivating story of ambition and corporate power struggles to the festival on its screening date.

Additionally, MultiChoice, Showmax’s parent company, will host a panel session titled “Crafting Local Content for Global Success,” which explores how African narratives can reach global audiences.

In this limited series, co-creators Abiola Sobo and Tolu Ajayi tell the story of Zara (Onyinye Odokoro), a young executive who enters a high-stakes corporate environment after winning a reality show.

Subsequently, she faces off against the fierce CEO, Moyosore Lawson (Bimbo Manuel). As a result, Zara must adapt to her new reality in the complex and cutthroat world of high-stakes business, where power struggles and ruthless competition dominate.

Moreover, the series showcases the complexities of power and ambition while demonstrating Showmax’s commitment to authentic African storytelling.

Meanwhile, MultiChoice will present an exclusive session at this year’s festival, focusing on “Crafting Local Content for Global Success.”

During this session, key industry players and stakeholders will lead discussions on Thursday morning, November 7, 2024. First, they will highlight local content’s importance in global entertainment.

Then, they will explore strategies to produce TV content that connects with diverse global audiences.

Above all, MultiChoice and Showmax actively support AFRIFF’s mission to elevate African filmmakers and create a global platform for African stories.

Finally, viewers can watch Princess on a Hill when it premieres on Showmax on Thursday, November 7, 2024.

Are you interested in staying updated? You can discover more exciting movie updates by visiting our website.

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NEWS

Bobrisky Released On Bail After Denying 15 Million Naira Bribery Allegations

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Bobrisky granted bail after denying N15m bribery allegation | fab.ng

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recently granted bail to Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, following his detention.

On Thursday night, Bobrisky was apprehended and removed from a KLM flight bound for Amsterdam at Lagos’s Murtala Muhammed International Airport while attempting to travel to London.

Subsequently, Bobrisky took to social media to inform his followers about his arrest, claiming to have sustained injuries during the incident.

He posted, “Nigerians, help me, EFCC just arrested me. I’m badly injured.”

After his arrest, officials transported him to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja for questioning over alleged bribery claims involving the commission.

The allegations arose when social media critic Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, released a voice note reportedly featuring Bobrisky’s voice. In the recording, Bobrisky allegedly claimed he had bribed EFCC officials with N15 million to drop money laundering charges.

However, late on Friday, November 1, authorities processed Bobrisky’s bail, and he regained his freedom shortly after. EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale confirmed the release on Saturday but declined to provide additional information.

A source close to the case disclosed that Bobrisky denied all bribery allegations in his official statement. He also challenged the voice note’s authenticity, urging the individual who shared it to prove the claims.

According to the source, Bobrisky asserted that no EFCC official had solicited money from him and insisted he had not offered any bribe.

Through this statement, Bobrisky maintained his innocence, asserting that the bribery accusations were baseless. Meanwhile, the EFCC has yet to comment further on the case. This leaves questions about the voice note’s origins and the nature of the allegations still unresolved.

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