A human rights organisation, the Asylum and Refugee Rights Advocacy, has called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene and rescue Nigerians allegedly trapped in human trafficking and cyber-scam camps in Myanmar.
In a statement on Tuesday, the group’s founder and Executive Director, Dr Okey James Ezugwu, said hundreds of Nigerians were being held in captivity in volatile areas of Myanmar, including Myawaddy, after being lured abroad with promises of well-paid white-collar jobs.
ARRA said the victims were recruited for supposed roles in ICT, customer service and related sectors, but were trafficked into Myanmar and forced to work in cyber-scam facilities under harsh and degrading conditions.
The organisation alleged that upon arrival, victims had their passports seized, movements restricted and were subjected to threats, coercion and forced labour, often under armed surveillance.
According to the group, Nigerians who fail to meet imposed work targets are punished, while those who resist are brutalised, detained or handed over to local authorities, leading to imprisonment.
ARRA quoted a stranded Nigerian in Myanmar as saying they were deceived with false job offers and now live without freedom, documents or means to return home, adding that several Nigerians are currently in detention.
The group noted that many of the victims are surviving on charity, with some relying on churches and sympathetic locals due to the absence of consular protection.
Describing the situation as critical, ARRA urged the Federal Government to immediately activate diplomatic channels to identify, secure and evacuate all stranded Nigerians, while also calling on the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and international organisations to support rescue and repatriation efforts.
