Barely a week after Ajayi Omolola was rescued from her traffickers who kept her in captivity in Lebanon as a slave; operatives of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos have apprehended nine young women being trafficked.
All in search of the same thing: “A better life”, the nine women were on their way to Lebanon, Cairo, Dubai, and India on Ethiopian, Peace, Egypt and East Airlines.
Public Relations Officer of NIS, Sunday James, revealed that four of the women claimed to be travelling for employment without knowing their employers nor aware of the nature of the job they were going for.
Nigerians Going Abroad to “Hustle”
James said the women were willing to hide the real reason for their trip until they were properly interrogated.
“This discovery was made after intensive interrogation by NIS officials …two of the women had earlier claimed to be going for a visit. However, the two, later confessed they were going for hustle in Dubai. Another three, of the girls, claimed they were going to India for medical treatment without referrals. When further asked the nature of sickness they said yellow fever before they finally confessed to being going for hustle in India,” he said.
Foreign countries simply possess far greater prospects to anything Nigeria can offer most people, barring the affluent or the politicians.
Even some affluent people still loathe the idea of living in Nigeria. For the lucky immigrants who don’t get deported, the job opportunities and the prospect of great paydays are simply better than being faced with unemployment in Nigeria — especially for one without expertise in any craft or trade.
The Comptroller-General of NIS, Muhammad Babandede, called on parents to be wary of juicy offers on their children, from family and non-family members to take the children abroad.
“Most of these trips are deceitful, camouflaged with employment, studies or visit which may end up in exploitation or death. Operatives at the various entry and exit points will never permit them departure. The NIS stepped-up clearance operation that is yielding positive results in the various arrest made at the borders of the country by NIS.”
The Pew Research Centre reported that 78% of Nigerians will relocate to another country if given the chance. Observers, however, believe with the rate at which Nigerians queue up at embassies, the percentage should be higher.
Nigeria, Source for Human Traffickers
Human trafficking is a $150 billion global industry. Two-thirds of this figure ($99 billion) is generated from commercial sexual exploitation.
The major factors that increase trafficking of Nigerians include:
- Extreme Poverty: World Poverty Clock shows Nigeria has overtaken India that has a population seven times more like the most extremely poor people in the world. This also a result of unemployment.
- Corruption: Transparency International reported that Nigeria is perceived as the most corrupt country in West Africa and placed at 146 out of 180 countries surveyed worldwide.
- Western Consumerism: Nigerians believe it is good to embrace too much of anything western.
Nigerians won’t stop putting themselves in positions to be trafficked abroad until they are given a reason to stay in Nigeria.
