By Our Correspondent
Dakar, June 28 (232News) – Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to Senegal, Alhaji Brima Elvis Koroma last Tuesday June 22nd, 2021 visited 57 Sierra Leoneans in the region of Thies who were allegedly promised job offers in Senegal but turned out to be a hoax upon their arrival.
These Sierra Leoneans were said to have been recruited with some Guineans by agents in Sierra Leone and in Guinea, and are said to have paid about $1,000 each to work in Senegal.
These jobs, which ranges from welding, construction, agriculture, security, to electrician pays from 400,000cfa ($800), 300,000cfa ($600) to 250,000cfa ($500) per week.
Abdul Karim Kamara, one of the victims narrated their ordeals to the Ambassador during his visit that they were recruited online and made to believe that the jobs were real.
“They shared with us an excel document bearing the various jobs they were recruiting for with salaries attached. They asked for $1,000 each for the recruitment”. Abdul explained.
Abdul further narrated that one Lamin Kondeh, a Sierra Leonean and Abdul Salam Jalloh, a Guinean recruited them.
He said they were told that when they reached their destination in Senegal, they would pay their fees to the agents who would facilitate their work process. “When we came, we paid our monies to the agents and they lodged us in two separate houses -twenty-five of us in each house. They organized a three weeks seminar for us on the job processes”. Abdul narrated.
The victims said it was close to the end of the training when they were given forms to fill as their jobs biodata that they realized it was a Qnet mobile company forms.
They said when they enquired for explanation, they were not satisfied with the answers they got. “It was then that we became suspicious and began to raise alarm that we needed our monies back”. They explained.
Abdul explained that the Central Police at Thies had to intervene and arrested two of the culprits.
During the Ambassador’s engagement with the Commissaire at the Central Police at Thies, Moussaka Fall, he confirmed that both Lamin Kondeh and Abdul Salam Jalloh were arrested and detained and were due to appear in court.
Ambassador Koroma thanked the Commissaire for the timely intervention in arresting some of the culprits. He explained to him about the close bilateral relationship between Sierra Leone and Senegal and called on him to continue protecting the Sierra Leoneans.
Speaking to the victims, His Excellency Alhaji Brima Elvis Koroma explained to them about the dangers of trafficking and how on several occasions, Sierra Leoneans have been trafficked and abandoned in Senegal.
He called on them to always verify information before undertaking any venture. He sent out a message to all Sierra Leoneans to desist from embarking on such journeys that will be detrimental to them.
The Embassy is now working assiduously to salvage the plight of these Sierra Leoneans.
