A 21-year-old Cameroonian, Awasum Brandy Fru, who escaped the violence-ravaged Anglophone region of Cameroon, has narrated how he landed in the den of human traffickers in Nigeria.

Fru, who spoke with our correspondent in Lagos, said he fled Cameroon in search of safety, but his journey took a dramatic turn when he was lured into the hands of human traffickers in Nigeria.

According to Fru, his troubles began in 2016 when the northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon erupted into violence.

He said he was arrested and locked up by the Cameroonian military forces, beaten up and locked up, and his father had to pay a ransom to secure his release.

Recalling his experience in Cameroon, he said, “I was living in fear of my life, every day was a struggle to survive. The separatist fighters were targeting teachers, and I was no exception. I had to flee to Nigeria to save my life

“I was arrested and locked up by the Cameroonian military forces, beaten up and locked up. My father had to pay a huge ransom to secure my release, but it happened three times, and my life was in danger.”

Fru stated that his family, including his mother, father, and siblings, were forced to flee their home in Bamenda, the capital of the Northwest Region, to avoid being killed.

He added that they moved to the village of Akum, where they lived in fear of the separatist fighters and the Cameroonian military.

Fru, however, said everything changed after his mother was killed by the Cameroonian military as they tried to escape to Nigeria.

He revealed that they buried his mother in a nearby church graveyard, and his father had to return to her grave to take some soil back to their village as a sign of respect.

Speaking further, he said he and his family eventually made it to Nigeria, where they were housed in a refugee camp in Ogoja, Cross River State.

But Fru’s safety was shortlived, narrating how he met a friend, Phillip Kingsley, in Cross River, who later introduced him to someone in Lagos for a job opportunity.

He explained, “I was very excited when Kingsley introduced me to his relatives in Lagos. I was really desperate for a job. So I agreed to embark on the journey. After spending 6 months in Lagos, I became more familiar with the terrain and I met a lot of people including my fellow Cameroonians.  

“We all stay together and seek a better life in Lagos. Someone introduced us to Mr Peter Okoye, a Job consultant who lives around Ikeja but unknown to us, the man was a human trafficker and a kidnapper. On February 28, 2025, Mr. Peter asked me and three others to meet him at Oshodi bus stop around 8am.

“We were at the bus stop when three armed, masked individuals speaking Hausa suddenly appeared out of nowhere. They began abusing me severely and threatening to kill me if I didn’t comply. We were blindfolded as soon as we got into their car, and they drove for more than five hours. They used a rope to bind our hands.

“Upon arrival, we were instructed to pull off all my clothes, and they collected all our belongings. I was so scared and threatened. We met more than 15 other people who were already kidnapped, both men and women and they were almost all naked.”

Fru said his nightmare worsened when he discovered that his friends had been killed and their bones extracted by the human traffickers.

“After some days with them, one particular morning they took me to the back of the house and showed me some human bones and skulls; they told me my entire friend her dead. They say their bones and bodies will fetch them money since they refuse to give details of their family; I was really scared.

“They threatened me that if nobody pays for my ransom, they will also kill me and sell my parts too. I give them all the contact information of people I know, including my family in Cameroon.

“They requested 10 million initially, but my family pleaded, and they accepted 5 million. They asked them to bring the money in cash and drop it at an uncompleted building in a bush just as described to them.  

“However, on one particular day that they were expecting the money, one of them told me that I am not really free even after collecting the money; since they had all my information, they would return to kidnap me again,” he said.

Fru’s luck shined again when a good samaritan among his abductors helps him, and two others escaped after one month.

Flu explained, “After 25 days, one of the guards calls me and two other guys to follow him early in the morning around 5 a.m. Initially, I thought someone had paid for our ransom, but he said nobody had paid for our ransom and that he’s just a good samaritan who only wished to help us. He said a lot of people were already killed, and we are only lucky to still be alive. So, he took on a bike, and after some hours, he stopped at a junction and asked us to go runaway,” he said.

Fru now can’t live with his family nor sleep at home; he constantly moves from one place to the next to avoid being kidnapped or used for rituals.

Human trafficking thrives partly due to the harsh economy that fosters hardship, hunger, and unemployment; the ignorance of unsuspecting Nigerians; and the fact that traffickers often operate without being apprehended, as the masterminds behind the illicit trade evade justice while only their foot soldiers are caught.

When asked about his health condition, Flu said, “Yes, my health is deteriorating. My friends took me to the Federal Medical Centre Abeokuta where I was diagnosed. spent five days at the hospital. Tests were performed on me for malaria, typhoid, and other STDs. I also went to see a therapist because I still get flashbacks from that horrible event every now and again.”

He urged the Nigerian government to provide him with protection and support.

He noted, “I thought Nigeria would be a safe haven for me. I witnessed a kidnapping in Cameroon three times where I lost my mother before moving to Nigeria, but it seems I am not safe here either. The rate of kidnapping and human trafficking is really high here.

“It was frustrating because there was no one else to turn to. Even a place to stay was a problem. My friends asked me if I would be willing to leave this country and go back to Cameroon.

“I’m afraid of going back to Cameroon; it’s no longer safe for me. I once escaped a kidnapping incident some years ago. My family has told me never to come back to Cameroon again; otherwise, they will harm me again. My next move is to travel to a safer country since Africa is no longer safe.

“I am calling on the Nigerian government to provide me with protection and support,” he said.

This case highlights the ongoing issue of human trafficking and exploitation in Nigeria and Cameroon, with many victims lured into exploitation through false promises of employment or better lives.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. There have been several reported cases of human trafficking and kidnapping in Nigeria and neighbouring countries.