Following an international outcry over the slave trade in Libya, some Nigerian activists and celebrities have finally seemed to have warmed up to the cause and suddenly finding their voices.
However, not everyone is yet on board to the disappointment of outspoken actress Caroline Danjuma who took to social media to slam celebrities for failing to turn up in a proposed match to protest slavery going on in Libya where migrants from Africa are sold as goods into hard labour.
“So highly disappointed“, she begins as a caption of a video she uploaded on her Instagram page. “You are the voice of the masses,” she says.
She continues:
“Those of you here in Lagos couldn’t spare 15 min of your time posting one or two pictures because you want followers. If you can’t fight for the masses then stop seeking for their attention. You only shout when you need them but when they need you, you keep mute… SHAME.
“I hope the masses will wise up to really know who cares and invest their energy in themselves. Celebrities take the first step and fight for the masses…
“Oops! I forgot the sun is too hot it will burn your skin (crap)?,” she concludes the caption.
Watch the video
Caroline isn’t the only one disappointed about what one might perceive as a reluctance on the part of celebrities and news media to talk about the Libya slave issue. A Nigerian writer Johnny Jam Jam had also recently called out Nigerians on the issue in a post that would make any self-respecting person question their priorities and moral standing.
Meanwhile, an update on the migrants’ situation indicates that 5,578 Nigerian migrants have so far returned to the country this year, according to the Punch. 1,295 of these returned in November alone. The repatriations from Libya is being facilitated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The Edo State government reportedly has a skills acquisition programme in place to rehabilitate returnees who are Edo State indigenes.
