Anti-Trafficking: Faith-Based Organisation takes Campaign to North-East

 

A faith-based organisation, the Symbols of Hope, has taken its anti-human trafficking campaign to the North East, where it sensitised the different sectors of the societies in Adamawa, Gombe and Taraba States on the dangers associated with irregular or illegal migration.

In Taraba State, the organisation interacted with some traditional rulers, both the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN and the Muslim Council of Nigeria, as well as the Nigerian Immigration Service.

In Adamawa, the Symbols of Hope went to five different secondary schools and the Christian Association of Nigeria, while in Gombe, it interacted with Women Fellowship, Zumuntan Mata of the Lutheran Church, during their annual Gombe District Convention and students of the Gombe State University.

At the Gombe State University, the organisation sensitised the Fellowship of Christian Students at the Chapel of Joy in the university.

In all the places visited, the message was the same, “never contemplate taking the risky journey into foreign countries, they are death-traps and never the perceived greener pasture painted on social media.”

The Country Director of the Symbols of Hope Project of the Lutheran World Federation, Rev. Emmanuel Subewope Gabriel, told Voice of Nigeria that the team was in the North-Eastern Nigeria because it was a zone where a number of the push factors abound.

 “Draw the attention of the government, religious leaders, faith actors, to come into this, so that we can talk about it, so that we can bring an end to this evil menace,” said Rev. Gabriel.

He cited some of the push factors in the North East to include  insecurity, poverty, unrest, unemployment and social injustice, which are responsible for tempting youths to migrate to foreign countries for perceived greener pastures.

He, however, said the government could change the narratives when it addressed the issues through job creation, which would ultimately make them stay back and engage in meaningful ventures.

“The government should provide security. The government should consider our security as a first priority then young people will not consider migrating, that we don’t get sold out like commodities in the market,” Rev. Gabriel said.

He cautioned youths on the dangers associated with the use of social media, which had the potentials of presenting a make-believe world, but a reality of a highly risky venture for any young woman and boy to embark on.

The Country Director, Symbols of Hope in Nigeria is therefore encouraging youths to remain at home, saying pictures posted on social media are sometimes not the true picture of the plight of those people.

“We had a lot of returnee migrants who confessed to us that they were actually in hell and they wanted to come back but with no means of coming back because it’s hell out there,” said Rev. Gabriel.

He also encouraged parents to be responsible for raising their children by themselves, instead of handing over the responsibility to others, especially those who come with palatable offers of helping find a better life for their children abroad.

Rev. Gabriel, however, said parents should make inquiries through the available legal channels in the country to secure their children’s trips to foreign countries, which when not certified may lead to human trafficking or prostitution of their children.

He said because the Symbols of Hope was partnering with the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, those wishing to get its services could walk into any of the branches across the country for assistance.

The Chapelin, Chapel of Joy, Gombe State University, Rev. Ibrahim Sulei Abba, said it was exciting to host the anti-trafficking organisation, which was going round campuses to create awareness on the dangers of irregular migration and human trafficking.

“We are glad that something like this is happening and especially that it’s coming from the Body of Christ, trying to address a problem of society. I think that’s what the Church should be doing. It’s a good move,” said Rev. Abba.

He called on the youth to always seek legitimate means of travelling, if the must travel abroad, to avoid falling into the wrong hands of traffickers.

Rev. Abba also advised that people should rather opt to stay back and use the money gathered for oversea’s travel for profitable ventures.

Speaking with the Voice of Nigeria, one of the survivors of human trafficking and a returnee, Miss Yetunde Abraham, shared the horrible experience she went through to and within Libya and pleaded with youths never to fall for the deceptions used by human traffickers to travel abroad.

Miss Abraham said it took her two months to travel from Nigeria to Libya and five years of hell before she was rescued and returned to Nigeria.

She lamented how for months she was chained in a room without seeing the light of day and how the traffickers do as they pleased with their victims, with nothing being done by the authorities, who connive with the traffickers to keep victims bound continually.

“To the glory of God  I am back in my country, as if it’s not the country I left for long, but God that preserved me and brought me back home!” Miss Abraham said.

She shared that her uncle lured her by convincing her mother that he would secure a good future for her daughter in Germany, and without realising what was happening, she found herself in Libya.

According to her, the journey is hell, so much that one will not even wish for his enemy to embark on, with some people killed to decongest crowded vehicles, with other vehicles tumbling severally during the journey and leaving in their wake maimed and dead victims.

“What really happened to some people is not what I will want to share with you. They molest some people, the drivers with some of their boys molest some ladies. Even when you get to the Buoabas, when you get to the soldiers that are supposed to rescue you, nobody will rescue you and this is not just Libya only. I can even tell you that the Libyan own is little because I have friends in other countries that tell their own stories,” said Miss Abraham.

She thanked God for saving her life through a man called Ali, who rescued her by arranging with the traffickers to settle the money placed on her, but ended up bringing the military to rescue her.

Miss Abraham is, however, saddened by the realities some of the girls are still being held for well over five years without coming out to see the light of day, while the trauma of those years had caused some of the victims to run mad, some of them died because they could not endure the horrors they were made to go through.

She still called on people aspiring to go out of the country in search of greener pastures not to do so, because, despite the insecurity and other challenges being faced at home, it was still better than being in a country where its law cannot and does not protect you.

For the Gombe District Pastor of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, Rev. Leviticus Evans Vingila, his message is simple, “Keep trusting God that the Glory of Nigeria will be restored again.” BHe believes that the public outcry on insurgency, unemployment and other challenges will soon be history and youths would not have to travel outside the country for any reason.

  

 

Nnenna.O