Ghazali Ibrahim

Investigative journalist, David Hundeyin has issued a stern warning to Nigerians, particularly the youth, about the growing trend of human trafficking disguised as job opportunities in neighboring West African countries.

In a post on X, Hundeyin cautioned Nigerians against relocating to countries like Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, or other West African nations with the promise of employment or business opportunities. He described such offers as fronts for trafficking operations.

“There is no job anywhere in West Africa,” he wrote.

“In fact, you’re more likely to find a job in Nigeria than in any of those places.”

According to Hundeyin, individuals who fall for these schemes often find themselves in exploitative or dangerous conditions.

He highlighted the specific vulnerabilities faced by trafficked women, stating that they are overwhelmingly coerced into sex work.

For men, he said the outcomes are equally grim, often involving online fraud, extortion of friends and family back home, or luring new victims into similar traps.

“If you’re REALLY unlucky and young enough,” he warned, “you might end up becoming somebody’s slave inside a Galamsey pit, or enslaved to a fisherman somewhere on Lake Volta for the next 8 years.”

Galamsey refers to illegal gold mining operations, particularly prevalent in Ghana, where trafficked individuals — including children — are forced to work under brutal conditions.

Lake Volta, one of the largest artificial lakes in the world, has been repeatedly identified in reports by NGOs and international observers as a hub for child and forced labor in the fishing industry.

Hundeyin acknowledged that his message might not sway many, noting a widespread belief among Nigerians that prosperity lies outside the country.

“Many of you have been brainwashed into believing that everywhere outside Nigeria is flowing with honey and gold dust and your ‘star’ resides anywhere but Nigeria,” he wrote.

However, he expressed hope that the message might deter even a few from falling victim.

“If it helps convince 0.1% of potential victims to sit their asses at home and find something to do, instead of becoming anonymous roadkill in Kasoa, then I have done my job.”

Kasoa, a town in Ghana’s Central Region, has been flagged in past reports as a location where many Nigerian trafficking victims end up.

Human trafficking remains a pressing issue in West Africa, with both internal and cross-border trafficking networks targeting vulnerable populations, especially in economically strained communities.