DECISIONS:The story of Eseosa

Over the years, illegal migration around the world has accelerated as these migrants travel to the ends of the earth in search of a better life due to the harsh conditions of their home land. Migration to a foreign land is often celebrated as a success which most persons are desperate to attain no matter the condition. Often times, these migrants are promised flowing honey and milk on a earthly heaven and only end up duped and forced into servitude. Most persons migrate due to the harsh living conditions of their homeland, war or more. Migration to a foreign land is often celebrated as a success which most persons are desperate to attain no matter the condition. Often times, these migrants are promised flowing honey and milk on a earthly heaven and only end up duped and forced into servitude. Today post tells the story of a young Bini woman who became a victim of illegal migration and slavery.

ESEOSA’s STORY:

Life has never been a bed of roses for my family as we struggle from hand to mouth. My dream, has always been to give my family a better life. Though I have a dream of being a pilot, there was never a chance for scholarship despite my bright academic records, so I had to drop out and help my mother hawk. I have watched different persons travel abroad and bring home riches and I desperately wanted to travel there too to make it big. It was like heaven finally smiled at me as I met one man who decided to help me.

I was fifteen years old when I met Mr Richmond while hawking. We began talking and asked me why I was not in school, since I am such a bright child. I told him, it was due to lack of funds and after thinking, he asked if I ever considered going back school and I told him, that is one of my biggest dreams and he said we should meet five days later at the same spot by 4pm. I kept wondering why he wanted to meet me but I decided to go because he sounded like a big man and probably he would favor me. We met as scheduled and after much conversation, he promised to take me to Europe to continue my education which he would fund but I will have to get my transport fee which he calculated to 200, 000 naira. I was so happy, I rushed home and told my mother about the good news, it felt like life was finally getting perfect. My mother went to different places to borrow the money for the trip and finally I was set on the journey to conquer poverty.

I went to his house which was the meeting point and I met other people who also have the abroad dream. He told us that the Visa trouble was too much so we have to go through the Mediterranean Sea. I was sad at first because I had always wanted to travel by air but anything was better than nothing at that point. We traveled through Sokoto State to Duruku in Niger Republic and we finally landed in Libya where the real journey began. About a thousand persons were supposed to enter one boat and that was when fear of death on the sea crept in. We were crowded on the boat though the females were sat in the middle to avoid fear of seeing the Mediterranean Sea. After days of being on the sea, we finally arrived in Italy and that’s when my realization was confirmed.

At the port, Mr Richmond began distributing us to different persons who he called out new masters. I was taken to a brothel where I was forced to work as a sex slave for my Madam who is also a Nigerian. We were not made to have contact with each other as we were kept in solitary confinement. Those who refused to be obedient were given different forms of inhumane deaths and we were threatened to get killed if we try to escape and we should not even think about it because there is no proof of our immigration so the police would arrest us. We started working there, sleeping with animals and humans daily, the higher we worked, the more our chances of making money and having our freedom. After a year, my Madam Cynthia decided to let me send money home to Nigeria. I felt, if working as a sex slave would make my family happy so let it be so. At seventeen, I had become a sex slave and on a fateful day, the brothel was raided and I successfully escaped the hard Life as Madam Cynthia got arrested and most of us luckily escaped the police . I decided I couldn’t risk getting arrested so I started prostitution in order to make enough money, go back home and start my already broken life again. I was nineteen and still an illegal immigrant at Italy who was ashamed to go back home penniless when I met Idemudia who co incidentally was from my hometown. He asked how I got to this point and after explaining, he linked me with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) who helped me get to Nigeria, started series of test by which I discovered I have HIV and started therapy to help erase the trauma and after four years, I got healed from my brokeness and decided to help those with the Illegal abroad migration dream through my story so as not to make a wrong decision.

Different persons though enlightened about the danger involved in illegal migration still decide to try it due to pressure from society and family as believe, they might have a different story and escape being victims of human trafficking. To those involved in this act, always remember, “do unto others, what you want done to you “. The government should help finance organizations involved in preventing this illegal act and also never relent in preaching about the dangers involved in Illegal immigration.

Finally in making Decisions especially when traveling abroad, we should confirm from the right sources and agents. We can make it big anywhere you are because greatness is in you. No land flows with milk and honey. If we all leave our motherland, who will make it great?.