Chief Joseph Onah, the Ojikpururu 1 Ny’Igede is the CEO of TSW Cote d’Ivoire and the Headlife Group of Companies, Cote d’Ivoire. He is also the President of the Benue State Union in Cote d’Ivoire. He spoke with CHRIS ONOKPEGU recently in his office on how to tackle trafficking and prosecution of traffickers.
*Have you heard of the activities of Nigerian girls who are flocking into Cote d’Ivoire to prostitute and have you had an encounter with any of them?
It is very unfortunate to talk about Nigerian girls that are being brought to Cote d’Ivoire for prostitution. Yes, we have encountered many issues relating to the girls and we have tried on our own to save our country from the embarrassment being caused by them. Many of them are actually being lured to come to Cote d’Ivoire. They deceived them that there are jobs for them to do only to be forced into prostitution.
*Are you disappointed that girls from Benue State are involved considering your State as the Food Basket of the Nation well known for farming?
I am very very disappointed to see our girls doing this because Benue people are hardworking people. Our girls are not known for prostitution. Everybody is looking for greener pasture and when you ask these girls, you will discover that they were not told from Nigeria that they are bringing them for prostitution. They are told that there are better jobs that they will be well paid. They deceive them and because they are looking for greener pastures, they follow them here and unfortunately, when they are here, they seize their phones hence they cannot communicate with their family members and relatives; only to be taken to the ghetto (brothel), so those are some of the issues and we are very disappointed. My message to our parents back home is for them to educate their children that before anybody deceive them to help or send them anywhere, they should be able to get information about such person. If they are able to get information about the person that is volunteering to help, or give them job out there, then if they can’t get in touch with their girls within one month, after taking them, then they can report the person to the police or other relevant authorities.
*What will you say is responsible for the incessant influx of Nigerian girls into Cote d’Ivoire? Can we attribute it to greed or the current economic situation in Nigeria?
Well, there is no condition or excuse that will give anybody right to commit crime no matter the economic challenge in Nigeria. It doesn’t give anybody right to commit crime and we Nigerians are known as hardworking people. So there must be a way out, you don’t have to wait for white collar job, to say that government will employ you before things will get better. The contribution of everybody is needed to make everybody better. The people that are involved in this criminal act, recruiting the girls, forcing them into prostitution are committing grievous crime hence government should do something urgently about it by ensuring that they face the wrath of the law.
*How do you think the Nigerian Government can fight this menace?
The first thing is to tighten our border between Nigeria and Benin Republic, which is the Seme-border. And if the Nigerian and Benin Republic securities are able to collaborate, I believe they will be able to curtail this menace because you discover that these children are passing through the Seme-border. And they should also collaborate with the Cote d’Ivoire government, if they do, I believe they will be able to tackle the menace. If those children are found, they should not just repatriate them back to Nigeria but try to investigate using those are being trafficked and rescued to track the cartel, we must get to these people, the syndicate that are forming criminality attitude and behind the continuous trafficking and recruitment of our children to do this dirty job. Unfortunately, these girls are not doing the job voluntarily, they are forced to do it, that is the worst thing about it. Anybody can say this is the lifestyle I want to live, there is no problem with that but forcing these girls, lying to them from home, bringing them here to Cote d’Ivoire, camping them in the ghetto (brothel), collecting their information by force, collecting their identity cards, collecting their phones and damaging their SIMs, to prevent them from reaching their family members is a crime and government needs to collaborate to curb this situation.
*On your own as a business owner, what have you done to assist government to tackle the menace?
Well, as an individual, I am also the leader of the Benue Community, anytime we hear information about our girls especially from Benue being trafficked or stranded, we move immediately, send our team to the field to rescue them, and bring them to Abidjan. We report the matter to the Embassy and the Police in Cote d’Ivoire, before we send them back to Nigeria. We collaborate with the Nigerian Community and NAPTIP Zonal Command in Makurdi, Benue State. So anytime we have such issues, we report to NAPTIP and they also report to the Benue State Government. Recently, we rescued a number of girls and inform them (NAPTIP), Government received them and now they are trying to see how they can re-establish the girls and how they can give them vocational training for their future benefits.
*You spoke about the President of the Nigerian Community in Cote d’Ivoire, do you think he is doing enough to win the fight against trafficking?
Yes, our Nigerian President here, Chief Michael Emeka Onwuchelu is doing a lot, in fact, he is transforming the community in Cote d’Ivoire. He is trying to bring everybody together. He is a unifier. Just like I said earlier, I am the President of the Benue Community and he is trying to bring all the tribes together as one Nigeria, to see how we can fight this menace and also see how we can avert crime in Cote d’Ivoire because as a citizen in Cote d’Ivoire, if we are not known for good, it is not going to be good for us, Nigerians living here and the nation Nigeria at large. So he is doing a lot, trying to bring everybody together and we are using this opportunity to encourage him not to give up, no matter the challenges, no matter the difficulties, we encourage him to continue to keep it up, we are solidly behind him and giving him all our supports as he is making every frantic effort to ensure that Nigerian community remains the best foreign community in Cote d’Ivoire.
*How do you think the Ivorian government can assist in curtailing the menace since it is happening here in Cote d’Ivoire?
The area I think the Cote d’Ivoire Authority can come in is to ensure that they investigate because whenever we rescue these girls, we report the matter to the security agencies, and we expect the Police to do their investigation to know who are the agents, the cartel behind trafficking. They should be able to arrest them. When they are arrested and prosecuted, I believe others will stop but when you rescue and just repatriate them, tomorrow, they will recruit another ones and bring them here again but if they are meant to face the law, it will come to end.
*What advice do you have for parents back home especially those from Benue state including the girls that are making plans to come to Cote d’Ivoire?
My advice to our parents and our children back home in Nigeria, particularly Benue State is to be careful at jumping at offers. Looking for greener pasture is good but when somebody promises to take you somewhere, pay your transport fare, take care of your accommodation, pay your passport, visa, and other things, willing to help and acting as a good Samaritan, is questionable. Involve your parents, let them know the person offering you help in order to get the details of such acclaimed good “Samaritan” because after the victims have been given stories of how they will be helped and when they get here, they seize their phones and other belongings. So you must present the person to your parents, so that if your parents cannot reach you in two days to one week, they can easily report the matter to the Police.
*Finally, to tackle the menace, will you also advise the Ivorian government to always insist that Nigerians or other nationals get in contact with their embassies or communities especially new visitors?
Yes, I will advise that anytime they come across any Nigerian, the Cote d’Ivoire government and security agencies should first of all ask them about the embassy identity card which is called Consular Card, if those people are actually identified by the Embassy, they are free to stay but if they are not identified by the Embassy, they should be held responsible for anything because such persons are illegal residents here in Cote d’Ivoire and might be into illicit activities.
