Human trafficking: Beware of insincere travelling promises, producer advises parents

Human trafficking: Beware of insincere travelling promises, producer advises parents

A film producer, Mr Roy Osuji, on Friday advised parents to always remember that all that glitters is not gold, especially when friends or even relatives offer to help their children to go abroad to seek greener pastures.

Osuji told our correspondent in Lagos that such offers are sometimes used by agents of human trafficking to attract unsuspecting victims.

He said that human traffickers took advantage of those who sought unconventional means of travelling to other countries to perpetrate their acts.

According to the producer of Alvary Studios, most victims do not know or expect that they will end up in human traffickers den.

” This ugly act is being perpetrated by close relatives, uncles, cousins, distant relatives, aunts and friends in the quest of helping them to find greener pasture outside Nigeria.

”Human trafficking is a big problem in recent time, and this happens because people migrate using unconventional means to get to their destination.

”This could result in human trafficking for organs, marriage, prostitution, child-sex and false marriage, among others,” he said.

Osuji said that the bottom line was for people, especially parents, to take note that “all that glitters is not gold”.

”It’s about thinking of what you can do within your society and not thinking that money grows on trees outside Nigeria.

”Things are the same everywhere,” he said.

Osuji said that the level of the menace prompted him into making the film,  ” Handicapped” which portrays travails of illegal migrants and is classified under the non-commercial films.

“The film showcased the bad experience of a young lady with a dream of studying medicine outside Nigeria, who was helped by relatives and friends to travel out illegally.

” She, unfortunately, ended up in the den of human traffickers and her struggle to escape from them became futile,” he said.

According to the producer, creating the film came with many challenges in the production.

He said the challenges began from researching the topic, finding suitable locations to shoot some scenes and getting people to act out the characters.

Osuji expressed appreciation to the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibajo, for helping them to work closely with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

The producer said that the experience while making the film showed that the society, especially the youth, needed to take seriously issues around their surroundings as well as pay attention to them.

He said that there was need to take the film to the grassroots, schools and villages, so that parents would be aware of relatives with fake intentions.

“Parents must realise that not all those who promised to give their children and wards better life outside the village are sincere or seek the welfare of the children,” he said.

Osuji said that the film, ‘Handicapped’ should be on number one list of cinema house crawlers, as it examined the evil associated with illegal migration and the dangers that lurked around every step.

NAN reports that the film has Valeria ‘Dish’ Udemba as the lead actress and is directed by Seun Arowojolu among other talented artists.

According to Osuji, ‘Handicapped’, which portrays the travails of illegal migrants, is currently being premiered at Genesis Cinema nationwide.

NAN reports that the film, being shown twice daily, exclusively at Genesis Cinema nationwide, opened for viewing on Feb. 28 and will run till March 15.