SLAVE TRADE; STILL EXTANT IN A MODERN WORLD

 Esther Oguntuase

The illegal migration of people out of Nigeria to find their Eldorado in this contemporary world, can be likened to the transatlantic slave trade. The business of trading human for either money or asset is a very distressing recurring trend in this decade.

Slave trade had begun in the late 15^th century in Nigeria. In 1971, Portuguese navigators in a bid to tap the Saharan gold trade, surveyed West African coast as far as Niger delta, and traded European commodities for local crafts, as well as slaves. The latter turned out to be highly lucrative. Nigerians sold themselves off, in order to benefit economically. From the last third of the 16^th century to early 19^th century, more than 3.5 million slaves were shipped from Nigeria to North and South America, and the Carribean colony.

The devastating effect of slave trade in Nigeria was the degradation of social, political and religious structure and the nascence of a war among the Yoruba city-states, over the control of slave trade.

As a result of the economic crisis in Nigeria in present time, those seeking to escape from the clutches of hunger, poverty, insecurity and unemployment had either been led astray or willingly decided to travel through illegitimate routes out of the country, in order to avoid the huge amount they would have paid to the Immigration Service. Some travel through the desert, while others go through the Mediterranean Sea, with no assurance of them living to tell the story. Most of these victims end up in the slave market with their dreams shattered.

Most times, the victims are females, who had been taken from their homes under the guise of going in search of a job opportunities. They end up travelling through illegal routes and being sex slaves. 

It can be said that slave trade is still thriving, and modern-day slave drivers are on the move to enslave  vulnerable migrants, as it is still considered a lucrative business. Research has shown that countries like North Korea, Burundi, India, Pakistan among others, are involved in the enslaving millions of people through debt bondage and forced marriage.

 Virtually, slave trade is not just history, as many people who were sold during the 350-year span of the transatlantic slave trade, are in forced servitude today. 

Although, repatriation agencies are involved in ensuring the provision of refugee relief and assistance to repatriates, victims of this modern-day slavery are still unable to settle down in the country.

It is sad that the cause of this problem can be traced to unemployment. The cost of living most African countries cannot be afforded by majority. Hence, the unemployed are forced to seek greener pasture. Unfortunately, these people end up being victims of  the “new slavery.” Without doubt, if our economies are stable and people are employed in the labour market, the need for an Eldorado is zero to none.