Roost Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, has raised alarm on the growing rate of organ harvesting.

The NGO raised the alarm over organ harvesters recruiting victims through placement of adverts or posters advertising for drivers, nurses, maids and a lot more.

The organisation said unsuspecting victims apply for such opportunities only to find out when it is too late that they were being recruited for something entirely different.

Some of the tricks involve rolling out advertorials calling for the recruitment of young Nigerians as drivers, nurses, maids and other professionals, fake offer of scholarship, nonexisting football clubs in some Middle East Countries. As lofty and enticing as these vague offers may be on the face value, it is clear that these young promising Nigerians are targets of organ harvesting and eventual death in the process, labour exploitation and sex slavery. Many of them that have ignorantly responded to these invitations are going through hell, many have died and many may never be able to tell their story while the few lucky ones are still brooding over their bitter experiences.”

Executive Chairperson, Roost Foundation, Julie Okah-Donli, made this known in Abuja at a press conference marking the 2022 World Day Against Human Trafficking and to announce the postponement of the Ango media African NGO’s festival that celebrates NGO’s that have impacted societies positively.

Okah-Donli said, “It is heartwarming to note that Government, Civil Society Organisations, the International Community and the Media are awakening to  the fact that while technology is frequently misused to facilitate trafficking, control victims, advertise services and hide criminal proceeds, its positive use can help practitioners detect, rescue and support victims and combat trafficking.

“Roost Foundation in the past one year has deployed the use of technology in its advocacy and sensitisation campaigns and feedback received so far has proven that this method of using visual and audio materials such as documentaries, animations, podcasts, e-fliers, social media updates, etc. is very effective.

“The Foundation, in partnership with NAPTIP, has also assisted the rescue of a victim who was trafficked to Mali in 2021. The survivor has been reunited with her family and is taking a skill acquisition training of her choice funded by the Foundation.

“Currently, the Foundation has received the report of a victim of Human trafficking trapped in Tripoli and we are working with relevant authorities to secure her rescue.

“Roost Foundation has offered psychosocial, medical, humanitarian support, counseling and pro-bono legal services to several victims of human trafficking and irregular migration in the past one year.