Exclusive: Presidency, Kwara Govt, not involved in release of Lebanon returnee – Facilitator

By Ahmed Ajikobi

A facilitator that assisted a lady that was reportedly trafficked to Lebanon, Harry Ilory on Sunday shed more light on the circumstances surrounding the return of the victim, Omolala Ajayi to Nigeria.
The incidence which occurred last week led to the arrest of two other Nigerians and a Lebanese after a video where Ajayi was pleading for help went viral on social media.
Since the indecent took place, the Special Assistant to President Muhammad Buhari on Diaspora, Abike Dabiri has reacted to the issue in many electronic media while the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Rafiu Ajakaye issued a statement that condemning issue.
In one of her responses, Dabiri while thanking partners that made the rescue  possible, commended the state government for the role played in the ensuring her return to Kwara State  from Lebanon.
But speaking on the issue last night exclusively with National Pilot, Ilory whose company, Phemnick Life Support, facilitated the return of Ajayi to Kwara State narrated how she was rescued adding that said the Federal and State Government where not involved in the release of the victim.
Hear him:
“The information about her got to us through on a platform, Eruku Progressive Union. Last week Thursday, the lady was able to give us a little background of the agent that lives in Ilorin. On that point as an agency, we charged the matter to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corpse (NSCDC) and wrote a statement of complain. We went to his house with some officers and knocked the gate several times but he failed to.
“One of the officers that follow us to the House of the Lebanese behind Friends Eatery in Offa Garage,    did not give up. The officer slept in the bush beside the suspect house and arrested him around 2a.m. I called to meet them at their command that night and he (Lebanese) called his lawyer, Bar Adetunji Sanusi. It as in the process of knowing more facts we discover he has about 30 files of some others that travelled to Lebanon with international passport.
“We told him to do anything to ensure the girls are returned to Nigeria and he asked if we are ready to pay which we answered in the affirmative. He said to bring them back will cost $2500. We negotiated and were able to release one of them who don’t have residence permit yet with N540,000 which is $1500. Omolola has residency and so her price was N720,000 or $2000. Including logistic, everything is going $4000 and Phemnick paid the money.
“That was it. When the video of Omolola went viral, I asked the other victim, Brighton to remove her video from the wall of the group so that her live will not be endangered where she was serving in Lebanon because she said the man has gun.
When the video of Omolola gone viral. I told her to run from that place. I told her to google Nigeria embassy. That was how she ran to a Kenyan man who told his son to take her to his house from there she was taken to Nigeria embassy.
“Now everybody is celebrating government who could not do anything and given them the glory. I called Abike Dabiri several times she never pick her calls.
“If we had not paid the price, we would have left with nothing. Nigeria government did nothing until when the girl went to embassy. That’s the truth about it”, he noted.
He said “During the struggle Kwara State government didn’t partake at all but after the release, yesterday (Wednesday) when the girl was presented to the government, they promised to refund the money back to us. For now, we watching, this is just promise and at the end, anything can. When the promise materialized, we inform you also”, he added.
Speaking on her experience in Lebanon, Omolala said “It was not nice, it’s a place where they take advantages of most girls out there. I just want to appreciate God for bringing me home safely. I left October 25th 2019, to work. I was told that I will be working as an English teacher there that I will be teaching their children but unfortunately when I got there, I started doing house maid. We have an agreement of two years contract, I could not even wait for the two years to complete because it was not easy and that is why I cried out for help and tell people to help me to come back home. I have National diploma in accounting. My advice to Nigerian girls is to stay back home and I also plead with the government to help us get job so that we can stay here and enjoy in our father’s land”
Omolala, 32, and married with two kids said there are still lot of Nigerian girls over there.
“I have not been paid any money, some pay $1000 dollars and some pays $200 dollars but there is no money in Lebanon. They have problem with dollars so they are not paying some of the housekeepers there for now”, she said.