The number of youths who leave the country illegally is on the rise, but most return broke and disillusioned – and some disappear, never to be seen again.

Youths – bored and tired of the daily struggles in Borno State – are taking flight and illegally travelling to other nations in search of fame and fortune. Especially fortune.

But most of them end up returning home with nothing but disappointment in their pockets. Some disappear and no one knows if they are dead or alive.

Popular destinations are Niger, Algeria, Mali and Libya. Although their ultimate aim is to reach Europe.

The federal government introduced social investment programmes – such as N-power, Trader Moni, Anchor Borrowers and NG Cares – to try to cushion the effects of the economic hardship suffered by poor Nigerian citizens and to stop youths from leaving the country illegally. But these were suspended recently because of corruption allegations in Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

The reasons most youths said they wanted to leave was because they did not benefit from the government’s interventions and they did not have the capital to start their own businesses.

Others said that even though they had skills they had not been able to secure a job to showcase their talents.

Parents told RNI that their sons often stayed away for a long time – but many returned with sorry tales rather than cash in their pockets. Most of the youths aimed to get to Europe where they thought they would make piles of cash.

They left the country illegally, heading first to other African countries where they hoped to catch small boats that would take them to Europe.

It took some of them at least a month or more to reach their destinations and few made it to Europe.

Mohammed Quraish, from Borno State’s capital, Maiduguri, said he left the country illegally and went to Algeria, where he spent almost five years before returning.

He said he would not have considered leaving the state if he had managed to get a job.

“It was the poverty and the many challenges that made me decide to leave. I wanted to seek my fortune in foreign lands.”

He told RNI about his often-harrowing journey.

“I left Borno with six others. We were travelling by car. It wasn’t long before we realised that robbers had followed us into the Sahara. They held us at gunpoint and took all our belongings. Even some of the Arab drivers were wicked. If they saw we had money, they would tell their compatriots and the next thing we were being attacked and our possessions taken.

“It can take at least take a week or two – or even longer – to reach your destination. Some youths did not make it, dying of thirst and hunger in the Sahara. When that happened, we performed the final rites and buried the deceased in the desert to stop them from being eaten by wild animals.

“Life in Algeria was not what I expected. We were marginalised because of our race; we have black skin and they have a fair complexion. Even small boys insulted us, despite the age difference.

“If something bad happened or if we got into trouble, no one looked after us and we relied on other black people to bail us out.

“In the field, if the bosses gave extra tips to workers, we were not included because we were black. And, because we were staying in the country illegally, we dared not complain because then we would lose out jobs.

“If you do manage to progress and make money, they notice that you’re dressing well or holding a smart phone and they come at night to attack you and take everything you have. If you argue or refuse to comply, they just kill you. There are a lot of instances of people like us being shot.”

A mother, who asked to remain anonymous, told RNI that her son had left because he had nothing to do in Maiduguri but sit idling at home.

“We hoped he would find a job in another country and would send money home to help us out with food. He stayed in Mali for a while but eventually he came home empty-handed.”

Hajjiya Zainab Abba Bashir, the head of public enlightenment at the Maiduguri branch of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, said: “We always try to create awareness of the dangers of travelling without following due protocols.

“There is a youth who returned recently who told us that they first had to either buy or borrow a drilling machine to dig holes at the border where they crossed. It was while he was using the drilling machine that he lost three of his fingers. He also lost his two front teeth after being beaten by a soldier.

“When we first compiled a list of those who had left Nigeria illegally in 2022, there were not many names. But since the beginning of last year, and up until now, the numbers of youths leaving the country illegally has continued to rise.

“From the stories they tell us we know that when they go to places illegally, they are treated like slaves and have no rights. Nine out of 10 regret leaving.”

Ibrahim Musa, a journalist in Agadez in Niger, told RNI that the youths mostly changed their identities before continuing to their destinations.

“They are often treated very badly by the citizens of the foreign country. Some disappear, never to be seen again. It’s virtually impossible to trace or track them because they changed their identities. Some make it back home safely, but a lot of young men are missing. No one knows if they are alive or dead.”

AYSHA MUSTAPHA KOLOMI