By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria

At least 20 Nigerians were sold into slavery for $735 in Libya, a local official said on Tuesday quoting victims who had returned to their home country.

Sulaiman Labaran, an official of the relief body National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), told Anadolu Agency: "20 Nigerians were sold into slavery for $735. This is a pity and very unfortunate.

"The Libyan government has to do something serious about it. We have heard a lot (of harrowing experiences) from the returnees.”

Labaran said some returnees spoke of being forced to drink water from the toilet, adding that nearly 2,800 Nigerians are still in Libyan detention facilities under "inhuman conditions".

“In that camp our people have been suffering and are being humiliated day and night. Women were raped and were denied food. They spoke of spending two or three days without eating. They were treated like slaves,” he said.

“They were flogged for not working harder. We were told of how some persons posing as soldiers came and picked 20 Nigerians and sold them into slavery. They were taken away from that camp and until now there is no news about them. We don't know whether they are still alive or not.”

Nigeria is repatriating its citizens from Libya following a video footage which showed Africans being sold into slavery in Libya.

Repatriation documentation for at least 5,000 Nigerians have been completed, while over 1,000 have already been airlifted to the country in the last few days.