Brief bio
Beatrice O. Okezie
Ms. Okezie was born in Umuahia, a town in Abia State, Nigeria.
Her parents were very poor. Due to abject poverty situation
her parents could not afford to send her to elementary school,
so at about 8 years old she moved in to live with a more
affluent family under an arrangement between her poor parents
and the more affluent family. She was able to attend school
and in return she served as a housemaid doing domestic work
in the household and hawking soft drinks around the streets
for her Madame. The more affluent family has four children.
At about age
of 13 her Madame’s sister living in
New York, United States of America needed a housemaid and
placed an order for her after observing her as very hard
working and of very poor family. Her Madame’s sister
and her husband wanted to replace their 14 years old housemaid
who they had sent back to Nigeria for being “too wise”.
Her Madame and her madam’s sister therefore convinced
her poor parents that she would be sent to America to continue
as a housemaid with promises of better life in America,
will attend school, attend trade school, get skills, job
and help the family out of crushing poverty.
Once in the
U. S. the traffickers confiscated her documents, and held
her in involuntary servitude for 9 straight years. She
worked for the traffickers at their home as a household
servant, and took care of four children for 9 consecutive
years without pay. When at age of 19 she was allowed to
work at fast food restaurant close to the traffickers’ residence,
all her paychecks, tips and all money found in her possession
were confiscated for 2 consecutive years. She was physically,
emotionally and medically abused, financially exploited
and deprived.
Ms. Okezie
observed various fraud and criminal acts hatched and executed
by her captors and their associates, including plot to
assassinate a fellow they consider “nuisance” to
their business.
Upon graduation from high school, her captor did not allow
her to go to college. When she requested them to allow her
attend college while continuing her slave work, they bluntly
told her that was not part of the plan for bringing her
to America. The traffickers threatened her with deportation,
and also threatened to harm her, and her family in Nigeria
for daring to make the request. Her captors also vowed to
send her back to Nigeria just as they did send the girl
she replaced; with nothing just as she came. They vowed
to destroy her just as they did to the girl she replaced
who is having hard times and mental problem upon getting
back to Nigeria, according to them.
Ms. Okezie did not get any meaningful assistance from the
African immigrant community who were aware of her situation
and there was no known organization focusing on providing
direct services for victims of human trafficking at that
time.
After a bout of intense physical assault, body injuries
and head trauma, Ms. Okezie was rescued when neighbors called
the police. By then, she had spent a total of 9 years in
captivity. She left her captors without any of her documents
in 1998 at age of 22. She enrolled in college.
She became
homeless and was ‘floating from one house
to another’ for about 3 months until she met a fellow
Nigerian immigrant who took interest in her predicament.
Investigation
revealed that after her rescue, her captors wrote the
U.S. Immigration Services informing them that she was
in U.S. illegally and requested that her ‘green
card’ be revoked. This was done in fulfillment of
their vow to get her deported just as she came to America;
with nothing.
Ms. Okezie fully co-operated with the U.S. law enforcement
officials in investigating and prosecution of the traffickers
(her captors) in 1999/2000. She testified truthfully in
United States Federal Court.
Ms. Okezie recently graduated with B. S. Accounting. She
is an accountant/auditor with a major corporation.
Ms. Okezie is a co-founder
of Africans In America, Inc., as well as Chairperson of
the Board.
