Oloture: The Journey Exposes the Dangers of Sex Trafficking in the Pursuit of Greener Pastures

A Review of the three-part series about a journalist caught in her story about sex workers

In a tense scene in Niger, Ehi, a journalist picks up the phone and dials “The Scoop,” a news company and she tells the receptionist that she would like to speak to Emeka and the receptionist puts her through to Mr Theo. Then, Ehi determined, tells Mr Theo that she has names and faces. That she has numbers and locations. That she knows exactly who is behind this. That she needs to speak to Emeka but Mr Theo tells her that Emeka is dead. Also, the news company doesn’t want to associate with her anymore.

Oloture: The Journey is a three-part series on Netflix that takes us through the story of a Nigerian journalist: Ehi who finds herself in Niger because of a story she was writing to expose the harms of sex trafficking. The series is a sequel to the movie: Oloture which was released in 2020 and was inspired by an investigation about human trafficking in Nigeria.

In the series, we get to explore many significant themes such as questioning the role of media and censorship in Nigeria and how people work to silence the media in exposing the truths and evils in society. In the film, we also get to question the risks involved in the sex work industry and how these workers are lured into the belief of crossing into Europe for a better life. Finally, through the series, we question those who manage such businesses. Those who bring in women and work with others to make a profit through sexual exploitation.

The cast comprises of Sharon Ooja as Ehi/Oloture, Omoni Oboli as Alero, Beverly Osu as Peju, Ikechukwu Onunaku as Chuks, Adebukola Oladipupo as Beauty, Patrick Doyle as Mr Phillips and the Director of the film is Kenneth Gyang.

Oloture Brings Up Questions About Media Censorship and Intimidation Towards Sexual Exploitation

Sharon Ooja does an exemplary job in her role as Ehi, a passionate journalist who has good intentions to expose the harms of sexual exploitation in Nigeria.

In “Oloture,” we watch an emotional scene where she’s speaking to Femi for help on how to cross over from Niger and Femi questions why she would find herself here in the first place. Then Ehi tells him that she’s in Niger because she was working on a story she felt passionate about. A story she thought would make her a big journalist. But what happened as a result of it is that she was fired and her life is in danger.

Through Ehi’s story, we get to question media censorship as Mr Theo tells Ehi he doesn’t want to continue on with the story. That the news organisation was threatened and her boss was killed. The fact that Ehi’s boss Emeka died put fear in their organisation to not proceed with a good story because their lives were at risk.

When you watch this scene, you wonder why such things happen. You wonder why journalists are attacked and killed when they try to do the right thing which is to simply investigate and get to the truth of a story.

In another scene, Mr Phillips meets with Alero at a bar and tells her that he was assaulted. That the person who assaulted him said it was because he drugs women and rapes them. He tells Alero that he got the idea from a woman who wrote in a diary that: “there were seven of us in total and we were led by the woman we know as Alero. That the woman wrote in the diary that she was raped by a prominent politician: Mr Phillips.”

Mr Phillips then grabs Alero by the head and tells her that: “do you know what would have happened if these rumours had gotten into the paper? That there will be consequences for this.”

In watching this scene, we get to understand that Mr Phillips would do anything to stop the media from letting the story go public because it would have ruined his reputation.

Through the scene with Mr Phillips and Alero, we also get to question how men who sit in high places engage in bad business and hush the press from exposing what is true.

Oloture Brings to Light the Actions of those Who Manage those Involved in the Sex-Worker Industry

Omoni Oboli does an outstanding job in her role as Alero, the woman who convinces young ladies to get into sex trafficking by appealing to their desires to obtain greener pastures abroad.

Alero proves to be ruthless as we watch the scene where she’s speaking to some young girls about whether they want to go to Europe and how she can give them a discount. Then, one of the women confronts her about the girl who got beheaded in Europe but instead, she says that is none of her business.

Through Omoni’s character, we get to question those who get involved in the sex trafficking business. Those who lure young girls in with the promise of getting to Europe, meanwhile not caring about the dangers and risks that might cost them their lives.

In Omoni’s character, we see how relentless Alero can be in her attempt to make money and profit from women by any means necessary. That even after Mr Phillips threatens her and her home is destroyed, she picks up a call from an Italian man Antonio and willingly decides that she will work for him and find more girls for him.

This short series: Oloture brings to light the personalities of those who get women into sex trafficking, putting their lives at risk, all the while knowing they might have blood on their hands.

Oloture Exposes the Vulnerability and Risks of Those Who Fall Into Sex-Trafficking

Adebukola Oladipupo does a good job in her role as Beauty, the sister of Linda who was also in the sex work industry but died as she was beheaded in Europe.

Through getting to know of Linda’s story, we are made more aware that it was in her attempt to go to Europe that she had fallen into the hands of bad people who had her murdered.

Then, as Beauty tries to make sense of her life and what to do, she walks into a home where other sex workers are but they tell her that they don’t want someone to bring bad luck/ a curse on them. Beauty pleads that she doesn’t have anywhere to go. That her house is burnt down and her mother is dead but they tell her to go.

As she’s walking in the streets, she meets Charles, also known as Chuks and she tells him that she has no job and she needs money and he takes her to Jewels to help her get something to eat and to change her look.

Through Adebukola’s role, we get to understand the plight of girls who get taken into the sex work industry because Beauty was vulnerable as she didn’t know where to go and what to do as her sister and her mother were both dead. Chuks led her back to an industry she didn’t want to be a part of but fell back into because she felt she had no option.

What More I Wanted from Oloture: The Journey

I hadn’t watched the original film of Oloture in 2020 but as I watched the three-part series just released, many questions came to mind.

For one, I wanted to get more details on Emeka, Ehi’s boss. We get to know that Emeka wanted to help Ehi and we watch that Mr Theo discourages him. But later on in the series, we find out that he was killed and it’s unclear how it happened. Also, it appears as though Mr Ehi is completely unsympathetic towards Ehi’s plight, meanwhile, Emeka had encouraged her in the investigation.

Also, I would have wanted more of a background story toward’s Beverly Osu’s role as Peju. Peju and Ehi formed a friendship and they look out for each other as they try to find their way out of Niger which is good. But I would have liked to have more of a backstory on her character to get a better understanding of her story.

Then, I would have wanted a more resolved ending as we watched Ehi and Peju escape. They get on a truck and are on their way to Sabratha in Libya. Then, the women get on a ship and the series comes to a close. After watching the third part, I thought to myself that I wonder what would happen next as I eagerly anticipated more episodes being released; only for me to find out that was the actual end.

Though I understand the Director’s aim to leave the viewers wanting more, the ending felt too uncertain and I believe it could have had a better resolution.

In Conclusion

Oloture is a short captivating series that explores and exposes the harms of sex trafficking and sex-work in Nigeria. As we watch it, we get to understand many important themes from knowing what the women who get into that line of work go through to the many risks they put themselves in.

In Oloture, we also get to question the role of media censorship. We get to question how journalism functions in society as we watch how those who do what is wrong in society go through any means to hush the media. How they threaten and take lives while conducting illegal businesses.

If you haven’t watched Oloture yet, then you should as it’s another enlightening and informative film out of Nollywood that captures a significant topic of exposing the realities of the sex worker industry and the perils of the journey faced all in their attempt to make quick money and get to Europe.