REVIEW OF A FILM-'IN A STRANGE LAND' WRITTEN & PRODUCED BY ROSALINE SANNI AJOSE WRITTEN BY DAUDA AWWAL (Investigative Journalist and Film Producer)
The London Premiere of A Film 'IN A STRANGE LAND' A Film about Modern Day Slavery. Despite the fact that Nigeria is a sovereign member of the United Nation and competent signatory to the war against child abuse, forced labour and human trafficking. It is absurd to note that millions of Nigerian children are subjected daily to UK in all forms of abuse ranging from trafficking to slavery and forced labour .Children were trafficked from Lagos, Kwara, Nassarawa ,Borno, Adamawa, Imo, Calaba, Kwara,Kano, Ekiti and some villages to be used as sex slave and child labourers within the motor parks, market ,restaurants or trafficked to Europe. Akwa Ibom is leading in human trafficking and child labour followed by Edo state. Young boys from Togo were recruited to work as agricultural workers in Nigeria in return for their school fees. Nigeria has more cases of trafficking of women to UK and European countries and middle East than any other African countries. As an investigative journalist with experience on this topic, my concern is that, most of antitrafficking programmes focus on trafficking for sex exploitation and child labour saying that campaigns are too narrow in scope. My findings reveals that 80 percent of forced labour in the African region is for economic exploitation and 8 percent for commercial. The phenomenon of human trafficking in Nigeria has become multi dimensional to the extent that anybody could fall a victim and no one is safe. Besides prostitution, marriage, and forced labour. While lots of people blame poverty or culture as a basis for human trafficking in Nigeria, NAPTIP officials told me other causes of the outrageous rate of human trafficking in Nigeria are ignorance, desperation, and the promotion and commercialization of sex by the European Union (EU). National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) made efforts to combat these ugly development. There are fears that large numbers of children have been trafficked into Britain and they are being used as domestic slaves The European Union has estimated that 60% of all sex workers in Italy and Belgium are Nigerian
women. UK estimate there are between 10,000 to 13,000 potential victims of slavery in the UK .The battle against modern slavery Britain is to get a ÂŁ33 million boost. Prime Minister Theresa May has announced. Mrs May said the money would be targeted at dealing with the routes of the people trafficking trade in countries like Nigeria, as she unveiled a new taskforce which is to coordinate the Government response to slavery. More than 45,000 Nigerians are transported to Europe and forced to work in brothels. Today's child worker will be tomorrow's uneducated and trapped in abject poverty.
The spirit of Africa took over Lighthouse, Camberwell, London on the 9th June,2017 for 5 hours for the premier of a film titled 'IN A STRANGE LAND written and produced by the star actress-Rosaline Sanni Ajose, organized by Inspiration Production, UK. The event attracted an enthusiastic audience of about 2000 peopleNigerians and non-Nigerians. gathered in the Lighthouse to watch the film and discuss their civic responsibilities to tackle the Modern Day Slavery. The film was written by Rosaline Sanni Ajose and directed by by Teri Ekuerahare, Co-producer-William Keme, starring, Sam Obiago,Rosaline Ajose,Larry King,Judith Chukwu,Ngozi Thompson,Judith Chukwu, Lucien Morgan, Dami Banjo, MA Benson, Kevwe Ogunje amongst others. The film was shot in UK and Nigeria. It starts with the promise of a better life in London. Ifeoma was persuaded and later willingly with some excitement to have a better life in London, Toyin Moore who was a friend to Cynthia trafficked Ifeoma to London through a dubious lawyer in London, The fat woman arranged with Ifeoma's parents to take care of their daughter in London and find her a good job and quality education, Ifeoma ended up in the heartless woman 's house as maid. Cynthia lured the teenager in her house in London by offering a domestic labour with harsh. She locked her up 24 hours every day, she give up after putting hot iron at her back and beating her because she saw her talking to her husband. Ifeoma couldn't able to speak to her parents in her village in Asaba,the eastern Nigerian state after she left Nigeria for six months. After six months, she got help through a postmaster and found her way to escape from bondage, the man took her to Nigeria High commission, A fall into ditch makes you wiser as French proverb says,
She suffered violence and was not fed properly and not allowed to have a fresh air, she gained her freedom through a nice postmaster ,she spoke to her parents and he took her to Nigerian High Commission The officials helped the victim, and Cynthia and her friend-human trafficker was arrested by the police and the film ended.
My comments What happened to Cynthia after she was arrested by the Police ?
What happened to Ivy after she gained her freedom from human traffickers? What happened to Ivy's dream to have a quality life in Britain ? Why the challenge of teenagers, particularly women being trafficked to Europe remains in the limelight, and the children being used as domestic help ? Why Nigeria has more cases of trafficking of women to Europe and middle East than any other African country? I am impressed by the writer of the film, the film is full of emotion, suspense and thriller, the film is excited and received a well-deserved applause from the viewers and the producer received gifts and congratulatory messages from her fans and well-wishers. The producer of this movie is dynamic and principled, she is popularly known as RSA. She is very beautiful and elegant, the star actress can play any role with her inspiration in any film project, her husband-Kolawole stood by her success, she said 'behind every successful woman, there is a wonderful man'. She is amiable, humble, if you are ardent followers of the Nollywood, Rosaline Ajose is a common face on the screens, the mother of two is a queen of Nollywood in London and talented actress. I recommend the film to every home to watch, because i am extremely concerned about the film how it can be distributed to all Nigerian homes, there is demand for this kind of film in any community to educate them. Nigerians in Diaspora were said to be over 20 million contributing to the development of their various countries of residence. Many of them are in prisons due to the misadventure associated with human trafficking which gives rise to frequent deportation of Nigerians from foreign countries with its attendant diplomatic implication.