Famous Nollywood actress cum philanthropist, Tonto Dikeh, has called on young Nigerians to shun illegal means of leaving the country, adding that they could also become successful in Nigeria.
The 36-year-old actress who is an ambassador for the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, said she was using her success story as an example for young people who may be looking for greener pastures in other countries through illegal means.
“You can only use your lifestyle to be an ambassador for younger girls. These girls are desperate to leave the country. But, I have never lived outside Nigeria and I don’t intend to leave the country. I am extremely successful, and that is not because I lived outside Nigeria. It was because I knew who I wanted to be,” she told Sunday Scoop.
The mother of one also disclosed that she was not only an ambassador for people that had been trafficked out of the country but for youths in general. She added, “I am trying to model myself as an ambassador for the youth, not just victims alone. So that they can say, ‘If Tonto can make it in this country, why should I go out and be abused.’
Dikeh, who is also referred to as Tontolet, also drew attention to the need for people to know the dangers they could face in trying to leave the country desperately. She said, “There is a need for sensitisation. Some of these girls don’t know they are being trafficked. Some of them suddenly realise they have become prostitutes. They don’t understand the danger they put themselves in. And even when they understand the danger, they don’t know how to come out of it. Sensitisation is something I am passionate about as an ambassador, while using my voice and life as an example.
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