UPDATE: Tragedy In Myanmar As Nigerian Engineer Reportedly Tortured To Death, Family Demands Justice And Government Action

 

Grief and outrage have engulfed the Okeadu family of Imo State as they demand justice for their son, Obinna Okeadu, a 33-year-old Nigerian engineer who reportedly lost his life under horrifying circumstances in Myanmar. The family says Obinna was a victim of a notorious human trafficking and job scam syndicate that had previously operated in Thailand before relocating to Myanmar.

The Okeadus allege that Obinna was lured with promises of a lucrative job opportunity but ended up trapped in an underground forced-labor camp. According to them, dozens of Nigerians are still being held in similar facilities across Myanmar and Cambodia, where victims are subjected to torture, exploitation, and, in some cases, organ harvesting.

Speaking through Obinna’s elder brother, Okechukwu Okeadu, the family called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to urgently investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of their son and the continued detention of other Nigerians in these camps. Okechukwu explained that Obinna had left for Myanmar in August after receiving what seemed like a legitimate employment offer. Unknown to him, the company was a front for a human trafficking ring.

Reports suggest that the syndicate deceives job seekers by offering them enticing pay packages and work in supposed digital or factory jobs. However, upon arrival, victims are stripped of their passports, confined in underground facilities, and forced to meet unrealistic targets under harsh and inhumane conditions. Those who fail to meet expectations are either resold to other camps, subjected to brutal torture, or, in extreme cases, have their organs harvested to “recover investment costs,” including travel expenses.

A source familiar with the operations of the camp told SaharaReporters that workers endure unimaginable suffering. “Once you get there, your documents are taken and replaced with a tag. You can’t make calls or contact anyone. If they suspect you are not productive, they beat you and sometimes inject you with substances that weaken you or worse,” the source revealed.

According to a message secretly sent to the Okeadu family by one of the surviving inmates, Obinna suffered severe torture after he reportedly complained of exhaustion. Supervisors allegedly beat him with heavy objects and injected him with an unidentified substance. The informant claimed that Obinna’s condition deteriorated rapidly afterward, and he eventually died in the camp.

The family is devastated and frustrated by the lack of official communication from the operators of the centre or any government authority. “We have not been formally informed about our son’s fate,” Okechukwu lamented. “All we are hearing are reports that he might have been tortured to death. We want to see his body. We want answers.”

The Okeadus also fear that the young engineer may have been a victim of organ harvesting. “We heard from some sources that they might have removed his organs to recover their so-called investment on him. We want the Nigerian government to ensure that this evil network is dismantled and that those responsible are brought to justice,” the family pleaded.

Several human rights organizations have echoed the family’s call for action, urging the Nigerian government to intensify diplomatic efforts to rescue citizens still trapped in these foreign slave camps. Advocacy groups say that the so-called “job centres” are part of a regional human trafficking chain operating across parts of Southeast Asia, preying on vulnerable job seekers from Africa and other developing regions.

The Nigerian government had previously cracked down on similar operations in Nigeria after reports of fraudulent recruitment and mistreatment surfaced. However, following that clampdown, the syndicate reportedly relocated its operations to Myanmar, continuing to lure unsuspecting individuals under false pretenses.

The Okeadu family’s pain is shared by many others whose relatives have gone missing after responding to online job offers promising high salaries in Asia. They are calling on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), and other relevant agencies to intervene immediately.

“Our family will not rest until we find out what truly happened to Obinna,” Okechukwu said with emotion. “He was a hardworking and hopeful young man who believed he was securing a better future. Instead, he met a cruel and senseless death.”

As pressure mounts, Nigerians are watching closely to see how the government responds to this growing humanitarian crisis. For now, the Okeadus wait in anguish, clinging to the faint hope that justice will one day prevail for their son and others like him still trapped in foreign lands.