The plight unveiled: An undercover journey from Nigeria to Burkina Faso to fish out 9-to-5 scams
Why are the citizens of the biggest economy in West Africa heading down to a low-income Sahelian country with limited natural resources?
In a daring exposé, an undercover journalist known by the pseudonym Paul Runsewe has shed light on the harrowing reality of human trafficking between Nigeria and Burkina Faso. The report, published by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism on August 26, 2024, reveals a complex web of deceit, exploitation, and shattered dreams.
When I left Seme for the STM park in Cotonou, Femi had similarly warned me against cultivating friendships on the bus. “Be careful with people you mingle with inside the bus, you understand,” he told me in a WhatsApp voice note. “Most of the people are drug traffickers, you understand. Just be careful. Stay on your own and stay focused; you will get to Burkina Faso.”
At that time, the advice felt strange — what they call ‘bobo’ in Yoruba street lingo. How do you tell an adult whom to mingle with and not? How can most — not some, but most — of travellers be drug traffickers? It looked improbable, but I restrained myself from reaching any hurried conclusions.
Asking me not to interact with anyone at the park was the crescendo; I became certain it was a ploy to prevent me from disclosing my mission to anyone capable of setting me free, knowing the invalidity of this supposed multi-thousand-dollar-paying job.
![With 37 percent of Nigerians living below the poverty line and 4.4 million people food-insecure in the northeast, the allure of a better life elsewhere is a potent bait to attract desperate job seekers. [FIJ Extract]](https://i0.wp.com/meiza.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Runsewe-Paul_edited.jpg?resize=708%2C398)
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Runsewe’s account started with a distress call from a victim who was too ashamed to reveal his identity but the summary will imagine him as Chigozie who had reportedly sold his family inheritance to chase a fraudulent job offer in Burkina Faso.
It was this call that set the stage for Runsewe’s five-month investigation, culminating in an 11-day journey into the heart of darkness and the landlocked country of over 23 million people, among whom 40 per cent lives below the national poverty line say the World Bank.
So why are the citizens of the biggest economy in West Africa, that is, Nigeria, heading down to a low-income Sahelian country with limited natural resources?
The investigation published today by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism uncovered it. It zoomed in on a well-oiled trafficking network, with agents strategically placed across Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, and Burkina Faso the destination.
Victims are lured with promises of lucrative jobs, only to find themselves trapped in a cycle of exploitation with no escape.
Runsewe’s narrative is a chilling reminder of the desperation that drives many to fall prey to such scams. With 37 percent of Nigerians living below the poverty line and 4.4 million people food-insecure in the northeast, the allure of a better life is a potent bait.
The report calls for urgent action from the governments of Nigeria and Burkina Faso to dismantle the trafficking syndicate and protect vulnerable populations from this modern-day slavery. It is a sobering reflection on the lengths to which individuals will go to escape poverty and the moral imperative to combat the scourge of human trafficking.
SOURCE: Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ)
Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.
