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The Monday Documentary: West African Journeys

The Documentary: West African Journeys: Episode 2: The Undercover Journalist

Episode 2

Episode 2: The Undercover Journalist

West African Journeys

The Undercover Journalist

BBC World Service - The Documentary, West African Journeys, The Undercover Journalist

Sorious Samura joins an undercover investigation into human trafficking.

Sorious Samura joins an undercover investigation into human trafficking by one of Africa’s leading investigating journalist.

Award-winning journalist Sorious Samura takes a trip through four neighbouring countries in West Africa and in each country, he meets up with someone who takes him on a journey.

The journeys are all different. Some are momentous and life-changing passages, whilst others are quotidian trips undertaken every day to eke out a living.

By following on the footsteps of his hosts, Sorious hears stories which open a window into the challenges, complexities and contradictions of life in modern West Africa.

Programme Two - The Undercover Journalist

Sorious drops into the middle of an undercover investigation of a Chinese brothel in Accra, Ghana, and the sixteen women who have been trafficked from China to work as prostitutes.

His host is a passionate investigative reporter called Anas Aremeyaw. Anas has won several prestigious international and national awards for his work exposing a complex cross-border human-trafficking syndicate operating in West Africa.

He is the mystery man of Ghanaian journalism because he refuses to allow his face to be photographed for fear that he will be recognised in one of his numerous undercover investigations.

Anas takes Sorious on the last stage of his latest investigation, showing him the Chinese brothel, introducing him to ‘Princess' - a Ghanaian girl who works as a cleaner at the brothel and who Anas has befriended to gain information - and taking him along for the police raid which results in the arrest of the traffickers.

Anas is running a complex and remarkable operation - not only producing what Anas himself describes as "wow factor" journalism, but working closely with a charity and the authorities to get human traffickers prosecuted and their victims returned safely home.

Sorious reflects that, in a continent where journalism is challenged and challenging, Anas is an inspiration.

The Documentary: West African Journeys

BBC World Service

Sorious Samura heads to Sierra Leone as a starting point for a trip to 4 neighbouring c...

Sorious Samura heads to Sierra Leone as a starting point for a trip to 4 neighbouring countries in West Africa. Part 4: Sierra Leone.

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