Victim Wants Human Trafficking Across Sahara Stopped

Victim of human trafficking, Mr. Alexander Williams, has called on the Nigerian government to take steps to stop the trafficking in persons through the Sahara Desert.
Mr. Williams, an indigene of Awara in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, who made the call while speaking with The Tide in Port Harcourt yesterday, described trafficking along the Sahara Desert as horrific.
He warned school leavers to refrain from embarking on a journey to Europe through the Sahara Desert as only few people were able to survive till their destination.
According to him, “when I embarked on the journey in 2016, we were 730 persons that took off from Agadez in Niger Republic, but only 160 persons were able to reach Libya, the rest died on the way and were buried in the desert.
He narrated the ordeal he passed through drinking women’s urine when he was thirsty and eating carmel dung when he was hungry.
He explained that women on the journey were forcefully raped and sometimes impregnated by some traffickers.
Mr. Williams noted that victims were imprisoned, maltreated and ransome demanded from their relatives before they were moved to Libya.
He said that some victims were branded with hot iron or poured hot water to facilitate the payment of the ransome demanded by the traffickers.
Mr. Williams expressed regrets that Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries were the most involved in the nefarious trafficking.
He therefore called on West African countries to checkmate the act.

Chidi Enyie/Favour Harry