In a powerful and deeply unsettling press statement on Sunday, the Asylum and Refugee Rights Advocacy Foundation, also known as the Asylum and Refugee Rights Advocates (ARRA), has sounded an alarm over what it describes as a worsening humanitarian crisis involving Nigerians and other foreign nationals trapped in Myanmar. The statement, signed by Assistant Comptroller General of Immigration Service (retired) and a legal practitioner, who is also the Founder and Executive Director of ARRA, Dr. Okey James Ezugwu, Esq., painted a harrowing picture of modern-day slavery and calls for immediate intervention at both national and international levels.
“ARRA issues this urgent and solemn press statement to draw national and international attention to the worsening humanitarian crisis facing Nigerians and other foreign nationals trapped in Myanmar under conditions that amount to modern-day slavery,” the declaration begins, setting the tone for a plea that is both urgent and uncompromising.
The non-governmental organization expressed grave alarm at the growing number of desperate jobseekers, including Nigerian citizens, who have been deceived by transnational human trafficking syndicates operating across Southeast Asia. “These victims 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,” ARRA stated.
Reports reaching the organisation reveal a chilling pattern as young men and women, driven by unemployment and economic hardship in Nigeria, are recruited by agents who promise jobs in ICT, customer service, or other white-collar roles. “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. 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 statement continued.
One of the stranded Nigerians, whose name was withheld, shared a distressing voice account with ARRA. He narrated how he and others were deceived into travelling to Myanmar by an agent who falsely assured them of job opportunities. “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 victim recounted.
The statement further disclosed that several Nigerians are currently languishing in Myanmar prisons for immigration-related offences arising directly from their trafficking and abandonment. His plea, marked by fear, hunger, uncertainty, and helplessness, underscores what ARRA describes as “a humanitarian tragedy that can no longer be ignored.”
The non-governmental organization highlighted the dire conditions in which these Nigerians are trapped. “They live in constant fear of arrest, abuse, and death. They cannot move freely. They cannot work legally. They cannot return home. For many, hope is fading,” ARRA warned. The organisation unequivocally declared that the 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 its urgent call to action, ARRA demanded that the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, rise to its constitutional and moral responsibility to protect Nigerian citizens abroad. “We demand the immediate activation of diplomatic channels to identify, secure, and evacuate all stranded and detained Nigerians in Myanmar,” the statement urged. It further appealed to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) to coordinate a comprehensive rescue, documentation, and repatriation effort in collaboration with Nigerian missions in the region, neighbouring countries, and relevant international partners.
ARRA extended its appeal to international humanitarian organisations, including 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 other reputable global human rights bodies. “We appeal…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,” the statement read.
Beyond immediate rescue and repatriation, ARRA stressed the need for accountability. “The trafficking networks, recruiters, and collaborators—both within and outside Nigeria—must be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted. Preventive measures must be strengthened through public awareness, stricter regulation of recruitment agents, and enhanced international cooperation to dismantle these criminal syndicates,” the organisation declared.
The statement concluded with a poignant reminder of the human cost of inaction. “Every day of delay places more Nigerian lives at risk. These are not statistics; they are sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, whose only ‘crime’ was the search for a better life. Their voices are weak, but their suffering is loud. The Nigerian state and the international community must not turn away.” ARRA pledged to continue documenting, advocating, and engaging all relevant authorities until every stranded Nigerian is brought back home safely and with dignity. “Nigeria must act. The world must act. And it must be now,” the statement ended.
The statement now stands as both a cry for help and a demand for justice, placing the plight of Nigerians trapped in Myanmar squarely before the conscience of the nation and the world.