‘I don’t want to die here’ — Nigerian lady trafficked to Oman cries out

A Nigerian lady in Oman identified as Oluwatosin has cried out for help, seeking to return home.

In a viral video, Oluwatosin who spoke in Yoruba said she contacted an agent who promised to secure a job for her in the US. But things turned sour when she found herself in Oman.

“Good afternoon Nigerians. My name is Oluwatosin. I am a Nigerian from Ondo state. I am speaking from Oman,” she said.

“When I was leaving Nigeria, the agreement I had with my agent was to go to the US to work. I had no job after I finished my NCE program, that was why I chose to travel.

“The agent said he was going to help me source for a job in the US. All of a sudden, everything changed and I don’t know why. That was how they brought us to Oman. Myself and one other lady.

“When we go to the airport in Oman, two people came to pick us up. They took us to an office and stripped us of all we had including our passports and phones.

“They took us to where we were supposed to start work. When I got to my place of work, my boss started to threaten and frustrate my life. The first four months I worked with him, he didn’t pay me any salary. When I called my agent to inform him, he said it was none of his business as he has played his part. Since then, he stopped taking my calls.

“Seeing how things were turning out, my boss kept threatening me to have sex with him but I declined. With all the stress of the job, I wake up as early as 4 am and work all day until about 12 am or 1 am before sleeping. My boss threatened that if I don’t give in to his request, he would kill me. That was when I said I didn’t want to work anymore and that they should take me back to my country having worked four months without getting any money.

“That was how they took me back to the office and started scolding me. They took me into a room and locked me in with some others. For one week, we were not given food or water. Most of us were drinking water from the toilet for almost one week before they came to take us to work.

“I have been working there for one year and two months and I have been sick. I told my boss that I want to return to Nigeria but he said I can’t return.

“Nigerians, please, help me. I want to return home. I’m sick and my boss says I cannot come back. Nigerians please help me. I don’t want to die in Oman.”

Although not mentioned in the video, D Rock Travel and Tours agency in Lagos, was alleged to be one of the agencies trafficking Nigerians out of the country for ”bogus” job appointments.

In an interview with TheCable, Adetimehintoye Ojo Peter, who spoke on behalf of the travel agency, said the allegations are false.

“That is a lie, pure fallacy,” he said.

“My travels and tours have never engaged in trafficking whatsoever. The lady in question in the video was a cooked lie.

“I think she has a guy in Oman who is propelling her. It is no longer news to many people as many have called me and I’ve been able to explain to them that she’s trying to create excuse where it is not necessary.”

Adekoye Vincent, spokesperson, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), said he has not seen the video as of the time TheCable reached out to him.

But he said there are many of Nigerian girls who have been trafficked to the Middle East — to places like Lebanon, Oman, and Saudi Arabia.

”We have been getting series of calls from them. In the last one or two months, we’ve brought back not less than 15 of them and we have rehabilitated them and reunited them with their families,” he said.

”Some of their traffickers have been arrested and we are prosecuting them. Some others who have indicated interest to come back have been profiled. Some of them are already in various missions but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve faced restrictions.

”We hope that after the pandemic, we will see how we can bring them back. NAPTIP is seriously concerned about the plight of these ladies.”

TheCable also tried to reach Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), but she did not answer calls to her phone.

However, reacting to the video on her Twitter page, she said: “You should call or tag @Naptip. Naptip is responsible for trafficking. Not @nidcom_gov. But @nidcom_gov collaborates and helps out when it can.”

You should call or tag @Naptip . Naptip is responsible for traficking . Not @nidcom_gov .But @nidcom_gov collaborates and helps out when it can https://t.co/cwXkZBy2H7

— world (@s2_vpd) May 1, 2020