Nigerian Migrant Burnt Alive In Libya

Nigerian migrant worker was burned to death in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, U.N. and government officials said today.

A statement by the interior ministry of the U.N.-supported government said three Libyans on Tuesday stormed a factory in the Tripoli neighborhood of Tajoura, where African migrants were working.

The Libyans detained one of the workers, a Nigerian, poured gasoline on him and set him on fire. No reason for the crime was given.

The statement further said three other migrants suffered burns and were being treated in a nearby hospital. The alleged perpetrators, all in their 30s, were arrested and have been referred to prosecutors for investigation.

The burnt Nigerian features in an endless orgy of attacks by Libyan militiamen and other actors against migrants in the country. Since the toppling of Moamar Gadhafi in 2011, conflicts, including incidents like these, have intensified in the North African country.

The UN Migration Agency said that in May, the family of a slain Libyan human trafficker attacked a group of migrants in the desert town of Mizdah, shooting and killing at least 30 migrants mostly from Bangladesh, according to a report by The Washington Post.

In July, Libyan authorities shot dead three Sudanese migrants in the western coastal town of Khoms. The migrants were reportedly trying to escape after they were intercepted by the Libyan coast guard in the Mediterranean Sea and returned to shore.

Despite continued attacks on foreigners, Nigerian migrants continue to enter Libya, some in hope of crossing over to Europe, others to settle in the country for openings in manual work and the prospect of earning in Africa’s strongest currency.