Trafficked Nigerian man, Efe Obada, becomes rugby star in US

A Nigerian man, Efe Obada, who was trafficked to England at age 10, has fought against all odds to become a rugby star, Dailymail reports.

Obada made his National Football League (NFL) debut for the Carolina Panthers, in the United States, four years after starting the sport from scratch.

In 2002, Obada and his older sister were trafficked by a family friend from Nigeria to London via Holland.

The two of them were left homeless and had to fend for themselves.

In his teenage years, Obada while working in a factory in Welwyn Garden City, met a friend who set him on his journey to professional sportsmanship.

Obada said about the encounter: “He was huge! Where I’m from, if you’re big you went to jail. So I was like: ‘Did you go to jail?’ He was like: ‘I’m playing American football. You can come and try it out.’”

In 2017, NFL launched the International Pathway Programme, to develop non-American players with potential. This prompted Obada to head to Carolina where he has flourished under head coach Ron Rivera.

The 26-year-old made his NFL debut in September 2018, and was key in a 31-21 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Obada signed a one-year contract in January worth $570,000 and is spending the off-season between London and America improving his understanding of the game.