It can be considered a trying time for the APC-led government of President Muhammadu Buhari as Government of the United Kingdom (UK) has narrated how Nigerian ladies end up being slaves in the UK.
The latest development comes on the heels of the execution of Ms. Kudirat Afolabi, a Nigerian woman accused of drug trafficking by the Saudi Arabia government.
The UK government warned Nigerian ladies to stay back home instead of coming to the UK for “non-existing greener pastures.”
Experts say it is sad news for the president considering multiple of problems his government has been battling with plus the fact that countries around the world have been deporting hundreds of Nigerians in recent times. For instance, IGBERE TV recalls that Ghana, a neighbouring West African country deported 72 Nigerians in September 2018.
UK, therefore, is backing an advertising campaign urging Nigerian women and girls to find jobs at home instead of “risking a life of modern slavery” in Britain, IGBERE TV has learnt.
Findings by IGBERE TV further revealed that posters are to be placed in schools, churches and marketplaces in an attempt to reduce human trafficking, sexual exploitation and forced labour.
According to the UK Department for International Development, the campaign focuses on “aspirational stories of women who have established successful careers in Nigeria”.
The “Not for Sale” campaign is supported by UK aid and involves the National Crime Agency and the UK’s Joint Border Task Force as well as Nigerian law enforcement.
It further said that one of the stories featured in the posters, TV and radio adverts relates to Gift Jonathan, a single mother who was raped and tortured while attempting to get to Europe but has since returned to Nigeria and found work as a pastry chef.
“Three years ago, I was a single mother with two children living with my widowed mother,” she said.
“Things were so hard that when my friend told me about travelling to Germany, guy I moved! We only made it to Libya. I was sold, raped and tortured. I saw many Nigerians die including my friend Iniobong.
“When I made it to Nigeria, I met with people who registered me in a vocational centre and encouraged me.
“Today I’m a baker in Benin making enough money to take care of my family. My boys will not grow up to be ashamed of their mother. My name is Gift Jonathan and I am not for sale.”
Report says Nigeria has one of the highest figures for modern slavery in Africa and is one of the top five countries of origin for modern slavery victims reaching Europe and the UK.
In 2018 alone, 208 Nigerian nationals were identified as potential victims of trafficking in the UK.
Penny Mordaunt, the international development secretary, said: “Modern slavery is one of the greatest human rights abuses of our time.
“UK aid is working in partnership with the National Crime Agency and Nigerian law enforcement to stop it at its source.
“Together we are tackling the root causes of dangerous migration to prevent vulnerable women and girls from becoming targeted by traffickers.
“The benefits of this will be far-reaching – preventing regional instability and helping us tackle modern slavery here in the UK.”
“A lot of Africans are coming to Newcastle to care for the people we don’t want to care for anymore. They come here on minimum wage with their kids.
“Get a council house ( no period of residency requirement here) put their kids into school. There seems to be some sort of magic portal between west Africa and north-east England at the moment,” one of the commenters on the development told IGBERE TV.
While another one says UK isn’t as juicy as some Africans think, “I’m all for giving potential migrants as much information as possible. People think the UK or Europe (American etc) will lead to a better life and honestly, sometimes it doesn’t and they’ve lost everything trying to get there. And either they can’t stay or the situation is awful and not worth it.”
Back home, particularly in the Northern part of Nigeria, there are security challenges in states like Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, Nasarawa, Benue and a few other states.
The Nigerian government hasn’t reacted at the time of filing this report.
Efforts to reach the Information Minister, Lai Mohammed proved abortive.
