There are indications that close to 80 migrants including Nigerians may have died after a detention centre was hit by an airstrike early Wednesday, July 3, 2019, an official of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) was quoted as saying.

IOM is an intergovernmental organization that provides services and advice concerning migration to governments and migrants, including internally displaced persons, refugees, and migrant workers.

According to Radio 2000, it was gathered that “the death toll from an airstrike in Libya could be much higher than originally reported.”

The source also quoted the Director, Media and Communication Division of IOM Leonard Doyle as saying, “up to 80 Africa migrants could have been killed when the airstrike hit a detention centre on the outskirts of the capital Tripoli.”

An initial report on the incident confirmed that 40 people mostly from Africa countries including Nigerians were killed by the attack at early morning Wednesday.

IOM Mission in Nigeria that confirmed the figure as reported by the Vanguard said the attack occurred at the Tajoura Detention Centre in Tripoli, Libya.

Chief of Mission, Mr Franz Celestin, who didn’t disclose the number of Nigerians that were killed by the deadly attack said he was appalled to wake up to the news of an air strike in Libya that killed at least 40 migrants, including Nigerians.

He called on the Libyan authority to discontinue further detention of migrants in the war-torn Arabian country so as not to endanger their lives.

At the time of this report, Washington Post has officially confirmed that the number of casualties has risen to 44.

It isn’t the first time the refugee/migrants detention camp would be attacked. There have been cases of multiple airstrikes on or near detention centres across Tripoli since the conflict started in the city in early April.

Share on:  Whatsapp  Twitter  Facebook