NiDCOM repatriates body of Iraq-based Nigerian woman

A Nigerian woman (name not mentioned) who travelled to Iraq in search of a better life has reportedly died, with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission confirming that her body has been repatriated to Nigeria.

The commission’s chairman, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, revealed this in a post on her X.com handle, which was obtained by PUNCH Metro on Tuesday while responding to reactions to her earlier warnings on Sunday about the challenges many Nigerians face abroad.

On Sunday, Dabiri-Erewa revealed that many Nigerians who relocated abroad are now grappling with regret and depression.

Dabiri’s statement came in response to UK-based Nigerian lawyer Dele Olawanle, who warned about the deteriorating conditions for immigrants in the United Kingdom.

Olawanle had cautioned that the UK’s immigration landscape was becoming increasingly hostile and urged Nigerians to consider their decisions before leaving behind stable lives.

“Don’t relocate just because others are doing it. Think thrice before making the jump! Most importantly, seek legal advice before abandoning your job & possessions for uncertainty,” the UK-based Nigerian lawyer had warned.

Quoting Olawanle’s tweet, Dabiri-Erewa urged Nigerians to consider their relocation decisions carefully. “I hope this message resonates. We have been bombarded with many cases of regrets and depression,” she wrote.

She also reiterated a common saying, “The grass is not greener on the other side; it’s greener where you nurture it.”

Shortly after NiDCOM’s chairman shared her reaction, many Nigerians flooded her handle with criticism, prompting her to reinforce her stance days later.

She revealed that the victim whose identity was not disclosed was a housewife who had travelled to Iraq in search of a better life but tragically died there.

She revealed, “The issues are with those migrating irregularly and most times to uncertainty. Just a few days ago, we helped bring back a man’s wife’s body in a bag.

“She went to Iraq in search of greener pastures; that never was! Her corpse is what (was) returned! And another lady suffering from depression was able to return home a few weeks ago with our help.”

She emphasised that while Nigerians are free to travel abroad, they should avoid falling into “more dangerous circumstances. That’s my message.”

In a similar case reported by PUNCH Metro in January, 28-year-old Eniola Isaac, a trafficked Nigerian woman, was repatriated after she was said to have been lured to Iraq under false promises of a better life.

Reports indicate that after enduring various forms of abuse, physical assault, and mistreatment from her employer in Iraq, she pleaded with the Nigerian authorities for assistance in returning home.

Announcing her repatriation, NiDCOM stated, “Eniola Isaac, a 28-year-old trafficked Nigerian girl in Iraq, is expected to return to Nigeria on January 3 with the intervention of officials from the Nigerian mission in Jordan, which oversees Iraq.

“Another case of a Nigerian who went to work in Iraq as a carer and was killed in suspicious circumstances is also being investigated.

“The Nigerian government has demanded an autopsy as to the cause of death of the victim,” it wrote.