Popular Nigerian activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has called out Nigeria’s immigration authorities for what he described as gross negligence and misplaced priorities, following the return of 78 trafficked Nigerian women from Côte d’Ivoire.
Speaking to journalists at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos around 1 a.m. on Sunday — shortly after the victims landed — Otse expressed dismay over the country’s continued failure to stem the flow of human trafficking across its borders.
“It’s a good thing that the ladies are back from Ivory Coast,” he said. “But the borders are porous. Immigration is not doing enough. They spend time chasing bags of rice and contraband, while hundreds of girls are trafficked out of Nigeria every single day.”
Otse’s comments underscore growing fears about the alarming scale of human trafficking in the West African subregion. According to reports, more than 500 Nigerian girls are trafficked across borders each week under false promises of jobs and better living, only to end up in exploitation.
A consistent voice against sexual violence and exploitation, Otse blamed the problem on systemic rot, institutional failure, and cultural pressures. He stressed that repatriating victims was not enough.
“Bringing them back is not the solution. Stopping them from going in the first place is,” he said. “Trafficking doesn’t only happen abroad. It happens here too. Kids on the street, begging at traffic junctions, many of them are trafficked.”
He also highlighted the role of cultural glorification of illegal wealth in fueling the cycle, pointing out that returnees who flaunt riches in rural areas often end up recruiting others into the same trafficking chains — directly or indirectly.
“When these so-called ‘big aunties’ come back from abroad and spray money at events, mothers in villages start asking, ‘How did you get this money?’ Then they say, ‘Can you carry my daughter?’ That’s how it starts.”
Otse urged Nigerian authorities to overhaul border control systems and intensify grassroots awareness campaigns. “I have sisters. This is personal for me. Immigration must expand what they do with their time. If we don’t fix this, many of these girls will just keep going back.”
His remarks come shortly after the successful repatriation of 78 young Nigerian women who were trafficked to Côte d’Ivoire. They arrived in Lagos in the early hours of Sunday aboard an Air Peace flight, and were received by officials from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). The victims are currently undergoing medical assessments at a Lagos health facility.
What you should know
Activist VeryDarkMan has condemned Nigeria’s immigration authorities over lax border security following the return of trafficked women from Côte d’Ivoire. He called for a complete overhaul of border operations and grassroots education to prevent future trafficking.
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