Nigerian trafficking survivors call for stronger role in policy and prevention

Survivors of human trafficking have called for greater involvement in policies and interventions designed to prevent exploitation, protect victims and hold traffickers accountable. The appeal was made on Wednesday in Abuja at the public presentation of Voices Unchained – Trafficking Survivors Initiative, a survivor-led organisation founded by three young Nigerian men who survived trafficking for forced criminality. The founders, Anthony Ogbonna Joseph, Morgan Chikadibia Jaja and Alex Oluwayomi Onyeji, warned Nigerians, especially young people, to be cautious of overseas employment offers.

They said apparently legitimate opportunities could be used to lure people into exploitation. Joseph, the initiative’s head of administration, said survivors should move beyond being beneficiaries of interventions and become contributors to the anti-trafficking response. He said their experience gave them knowledge of recruitment methods, vulnerabilities exploited by traffickers and the difficulties of rebuilding their lives after exploitation.

According to Joseph, the men travelled from Nigeria to Southeast Asia after responding to offers that promised well-paid jobs, accommodation, meals and attractive salaries. Recruiters processed their passports, visas and flight tickets, creating what appeared to be a professional and trustworthy process. They were instead drawn into a trafficking operation involving deception, control and loss of freedom.

Joseph said rescue and return to Nigeria did not end the survivors’ difficulties. They still had to address questions about recovery, confidence, employment, memories of exploitation and how to prevent others from suffering similar experiences. Their return was facilitated by Eden Myanmar, the Nigerian Embassy in Thailand and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.

Voices Unchained said its work would focus on prevention, protection, safe-migration education, research, youth engagement and policy advocacy. Its five stated pillars are prevention, protection, prosecution, partnership and policy. Jaja said the organisation would assess its work by its impact on prevention, public understanding, survivor participation and reintegration.

Osita Osemene, president of the Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour and himself a trafficking survivor, urged the founders to remain consistent and develop their skills.