MATERNAL GAZE IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
From a small town of Sapele, Ethiope West in Delta State, Nigeria, Oghenemine Kate Ajiyen’s life was a constant battle.
Born with a physical disability that affected her hands on the 21st Day of August 1997, she faced relentless mockery and discrimination.
Her mother, Mama Kate as she was popularly called was unwavering in her support, working tirelessly as a seamstress to ensure Kate received an education.
According to our source. Despite the cruel taunts of her peers and the physical challenges she faced, Kate was well groomed academically.
Determined to forge a better future for herself. Kate’s journey through school and university was fraught with challenges. She was often ridiculed for her disability, but she refused to let it define her personality.
Her intelligence and perseverance shone through, and she graduated with honors like her peers in university. However, the harsh realities of the job market in Nigeria soon became apparent.
Employers dismissed her, unable to see past her disability. Kate’s hope began to fade as rejection after rejection came her way.
Desperate to change her daughter’s fate, Mama Kate made a heartbreaking decision. She sold their family land and properties in Sapele, the last remnants of their heritage, to gather enough money and with a heavy heart, she handed over the sum to a group of human traffickers claiming to be working for NGO’s and Persons with Disabilities, believing they will take Kate abroad for work and have surgery on her hands.
It was a desperate gamble, born out of love and a desire to give Kate a chance at a better life.
Her journey with the traffickers was harrowing as they traveled by land from Nigeria through the Mediterranean to Turkey, a perilous and grueling trip.
Upon arrival, Kate’s nightmare began. The traffickers revealed their true intentions, planning to harvest her kidney to fund the surgery for her crippled hands.
Terrified and horrified, Kate objected, refusing to be a part of their sinister plans, Her defiance was met with brutal consequences. She was subjected to inhumane and dehumanizing treatment like being often starved, beaten, and tortured to break her spirit.
The traffickers, frustrated by her resistance, demanded she sell her body in the sex trade to raise money.
In spite, Kate’s sense of dignity and self-worth remained intact, and she was willing to commit suicide rather than being forced into such a fate.
Seeing that Kate could not be broken, the traffickers resorted to renting her out as a maid and domestic worker to various families in Turkey.
Her life became a series of menial tasks performed under harsh conditions, with her earnings confiscated and her Nigerian passport held hostage. The families she worked for treated her with cruelty and disdain, and she endured constant threats to her life.
Yet, even in the darkest moments, her spirit remained unyielding. She secretly began to learn how to escape from Turkey, hoping to one day to find a way to escape to other parts of Europe for a better life.
She formed a silent network of allies among other workers, sharing her story with the public for attention, and gathering information about potential escape routes.
One night, after months of meticulous planning, Kate seized an opportunity to flee from Turkey with the help of sympathetic co-workers.
She escaped the house when she was supposed to remain as captive on instructions. It was rumored among her friends in the trade that she sought refuge in a local church, where the kind-hearted priest provided her with shelter and support.
He connected her with a local NGO that specialized in helping trafficked individuals.
The NGO is speculated to have helped Kate secure documents for her exit and provided her with medical care and counselling
She also attended therapy sessions to heal both her physical and emotional scars and hope our source hopes that apart from her university education, she will move to Masters training programs to rebuild her skills in a better world.
Kate’s story of survival and resilience began to spread in Turkey and Nigeria, attracting the attention of human rights organizations and local media.
Her courage inspired many, and her fighting spirit is so inspirational that it makes her without questions, a fighter and powerful advocate against human trafficking.
Sharing her experiences with others in the sex and trafficking trade to raise awareness and fight for justice, It is hoped that since her disappearance from Turkey, she stood as a symbol of strength and hope for others in her situation or worse.
We hope she succeeds in reclaiming her life, working with NGOs to support other victims of trafficking and advocating for stronger protections for vulnerable individuals.
Her mother, Mama Kate, we hope, will eventually join her in any part of Europe when she succeeds in her mission and is finally settled down and safe and secure, where they can be reunited once again.
Kate’s journey was one of unimaginable hardship, but her unbreakable spirit and unwavering determination is sure to transform her life.
It is believed that she had overcome the darkest of circumstances, turning her pain into a force for change. Kate’s story was a testament to the power of resilience, courage, and the enduring love between a mother and her daughter.
When contacted by our independent reporter Osman Umer on this issue, and in a press release by: The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Human Rights Platform, a Turkish based Human Rights group have raised Concerns on the new Human Trafficking Syndicates operating between Nigeria and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRCN).
Human traffickers promise young Nigerians university education and work opportunities in TRCN. However, once the students arrive at the territory, they are locked up in private apartments and forced into prostitution.
According to the hotline data of the Human Rights Platform, Nigerians form 70% of the human trafficking cases, from November 2021 to date, and all are victims of sex trafficking.According to the Human Rights Platform, “In March 2020 “TRNC” criminalized human trafficking, but the authorities are reluctant to investigate such cases.
There is absolutely no legal framework that protects and assists human trafficking victims and there is no shelter. Hence, victims are often exploited for months with no access to law enforcement.
Even in rare cases, they are rescued, they are left with no assistance and protection from the authorities.’’The Human Rights Platform is currently the only organization that provides legal assistance and support to the victims.
Trends showed that victims that come to the “TRNC” with student visas are deceived by agents that are used as a shield by the traffickers.
Most times, a Nigerian trafficker would approach the victims in Nigeria either face to face or online and convince them to travel to the “TRNC”.
In addition, students should make sure that they have the financial means to cover all their university fees and living expenses, since the country is currently suffering from economic crises and job opportunities for students are dire need
The Rights group however, advised anyone who finds themselves in an exploitative situation in the “TRNC”, to reach out to them through their hotline line on +905428620060.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (“TRNC”) has not been recognized by any country except Turkey. It is a territory that is largely isolated from the world because it is not recognized as a sovereign state.
The country also struggles to implement the minimum human rights standards in many areas because of insufficient resources, capacity, and engagement with the international community.
The economy is dependant on two major sectors; tourism and education.
TRNC which has a population of about 326,000 currently has 22 operating universities. However, the education sector carries significant risks according to the latest cases in relation to human trafficking.
The student visa regulations are not stringent compared to other countries. As such, students can receive visas mostly with just a proof of university registration.
It has been understood that the human traffickers have been abusing this procedure and contacting Nigerians, especially young women, to deceive them into going to “TRNC”.
NAPTIP therefore, warns Nigerians who are being approached to travel to Turkey, and Europe for work, or Northern Cyprus for university education to exercise extreme caution as most of those offers are from human traffickers who are capitalizing on the loose visa procedures to traffic them to that country.