A Nigerian woman identified as Victoria has reportedly been taken to a detention facility in Libya after her arrest, with alleged police officers demanding 5,000 Libyan dinars for her release.

Victoria was reportedly arrested on October 19, 2026, while trying to earn a living as she awaited her return to Nigeria, according to SaharaReporters.

According to a Nigerian advocate who has been in contact with her, Victoria alleged that the officers demanded her passport during the arrest. When she presented her work permit, locally known as Pataka, the officers allegedly tore up the document before transferring her to a detention facility identified as Oshofana.

She reportedly said she was asked to pay 5,000 Libyan dinars to secure her freedom.

In messages sent to the advocate, Victoria appealed for urgent assistance, alleging that the police had taken her to the facility against her will.

“Police people sell me inside oshofana please help me out,” she wrote in one of her messages.

She added that she was using another person’s phone to communicate and feared losing contact once the phone’s owner left.

“I borrow someone phone and if the person leave I will not be able to talk to you again,” she said.

In a subsequent message, Victoria indicated that the person lending her the phone was preparing to leave and promised to contact the advocate again using another device.

The advocate said Victoria’s last voice message was received on October 20. The message was reportedly whispered, with her voice suggesting that she was frightened.

No further communication has reportedly been received from her, raising concerns about her safety and whereabouts.

“I am worried for her (Victoria) safety,” the advocate said, calling for urgent intervention to establish her condition and secure her release.

Reacting to the report, the spokesperson for the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Vincent Adekoye, said the agency had not previously received information about the case.

“The Agency is not aware of this before now. However, I will forward it to the appropriate Department for immediate action,” Adekoye told SaharaReporters.

He also urged Victoria’s relatives to contact the agency for assistance.

The reported incident comes amid growing concerns over the treatment of Nigerians and other African migrants in Libya, where some have reportedly faced hostility, threats and possible arrest.

Reports of warnings at workplaces, eviction notices and messages circulating among migrant communities have heightened fears about their safety.

Some residents have reportedly advised fellow migrants to leave the country or limit their movements outside their homes.

Victoria’s reported detention and the alleged demand for money for her release have renewed calls for urgent intervention to establish her whereabouts and ensure her safety.