FG Urged To Act As Nigerians Languish in Myanmar Prisons, Others Stranded after Job Scam Deception
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In a harrowing disclosure that highlights a deepening humanitarian crisis in Southeast Asia, the Asylum and Refugee Rights Advocacy Foundation, also known as the Asylum and Refugee Rights Advocates (ARRA), has issued an urgent and solemn call for the Federal Government (FG) of Nigeria and the international community to intervene in the plight of Nigerian citizens currently held in modern-day slavery.
The press statement, signed by the Founder and Executive Director of ARRA, Dr. Okey James Ezugwu, Esq., a legal practitioner and retired Assistant Comptroller General of Immigration Service, paints a grim picture of systematic exploitation, torture, and abandonment within cyber-scam compounds located in the volatile regions of Myanmar.
According to the statement released by the foundation, ARRA is gravely alarmed by the growing number of desperate jobseekers, including Nigerian citizens, who have fallen victim to transnational human trafficking syndicates operating across parts of Southeast Asia.
These victims, the organization reports, were deceitfully lured with promises of legitimate employment abroad, only to be trafficked into Myanmar—particularly volatile regions such as Myawaddy—where they are held in captivity within cyber-scam compounds, stripped of their dignity, freedom, and fundamental human rights.
Dr. Ezugwu emphasizes that the recruitment process preys on the vulnerable, noting that unsuspecting young men and women, driven by unemployment and economic hardship at home, are recruited by agents who promise jobs in ICT, customer service, or other white-collar roles.
The reality awaiting these individuals upon arrival is a brutal departure from the promised opportunities.
ARRA reports that a disturbing and consistent pattern has emerged where, upon arrival, their passports are confiscated, their movements restricted, and they are subjected to coercion, threats, physical abuse, and forced labour, often under armed surveillance.
The foundation further clarifies the consequences for those who cannot or will not comply with the demands of their captors, stating that those who resist or are unable to meet imposed quotas are brutalised, detained, or handed over to local authorities, leading to imprisonment under harsh conditions.
The foundation shared a chilling firsthand account from one of many stranded Nigerians whose identity was withheld for safety. In a distressing voice account received by ARRA, the victim narrated how he and others were deceived into travelling to Myanmar by an agent who falsely assured them of job opportunities.
The victim revealed that upon arrival, they discovered that the promises were lies, their legal status compromised, and their freedom effectively extinguished. With expired visas, no access to consular protection, and no means of livelihood, many have been forced into hiding, relying on the charity of churches and sympathetic locals for survival. The account further disclosed that several Nigerians are currently languishing in Myanmar prisons for immigration-related offences arising directly from their trafficking and abandonment.
Dr. Ezugwu characterizes the situation as a humanitarian tragedy that can no longer be ignored, particularly as these Nigerians are trapped in a country already engulfed by political instability, armed conflict, and weak rule of law.
The statement notes that these individuals live in constant fear of arrest, abuse, and death, unable to move freely, work legally, or return home, leading to a state where hope is fading for many. ARRA unequivocally states that this situation constitutes human trafficking, forced labour, and crimes against humanity, in clear violation of international human rights law, the Palermo Protocol, and other global anti-trafficking instruments to which Nigeria is a signatory.
In light of these findings, ARRA is directing an urgent appeal to the highest levels of the Nigerian government. The foundation calls on the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to rise to its constitutional and moral responsibility to protect Nigerian citizens wherever they may be, demanding the immediate activation of diplomatic channels to identify, secure, and evacuate all stranded and detained Nigerians in Myanmar.
Furthermore, the organization calls on the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) to urgently intervene by coordinating a comprehensive rescue, documentation, and repatriation effort, in collaboration with Nigerian missions in the region, neighbouring countries, and relevant international partners.
The plea for assistance extends beyond national borders, as ARRA appeals to international humanitarian organisations, including the United Nations agencies, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and reputable global human rights bodies.
These entities are urged to immediately step in to provide protection, legal assistance, emergency relief, and evacuation support for the victims trapped in Myanmar’s trafficking zones and detention facilities.
Dr. Ezugwu also stresses that the solution must include a pursuit of justice and future prevention. He asserts that the trafficking networks, recruiters, and collaborators—both within and outside Nigeria—must be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.
He advocates for strengthened preventive measures through public awareness, stricter regulation of recruitment agents, and enhanced international cooperation to dismantle these criminal syndicates.
The statement concludes with a poignant reminder that the victims are not mere statistics but are sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, whose only “crime” was the search for a better life. Warning that every day of delay places more Nigerian lives at risk, ARRA maintains that while the victims’ voices are weak, their suffering is loud.
The foundation has pledged to continue to document, advocate, and engage all relevant authorities until every stranded Nigerian is brought back home safely and with dignity, ending with the firm declaration that Nigeria must act, the world must act, and it must be now.
