Seven Nigerian girls trafficked to Mali, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire under the guise of overseas employment have been rescued and returned home, according to the Global Anti-Human Trafficking Organisation (GAHTO).
The organisation said the operation was carried out in collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), following reports that the victims had been lured abroad with promises of legitimate jobs but were later subjected to exploitation.
In a statement issued by GAHTO President Prosper Michael, the organisation said the survivors were received by Nigerian authorities after returning from the three West African countries.
Several of the rescued girls described how recruiters allegedly deceived them with offers of work in boutiques, restaurants, domestic services and phone accessory shops before revealing that they were expected to engage in prostitution and repay large debts.
One of the survivors, 22-year-old Sandy Sophia from Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, said she repeatedly sought assurances that the job offer did not involve sex work.
“I asked countless times if it was prostitution, and they kept telling me it was not. It was only after we reached Burkina Faso that they finally admitted it was prostitution,” she said.
Another victim, Rose, 19, a graduate of Plateau State Polytechnic, said she travelled hoping to support her education and family.
“I was told I would be selling in a boutique and helping with cooking. My mother was initially reluctant to allow me to travel because of stories about girls being trafficked abroad, but I was assured it was genuine work. When we arrived in Mali, we discovered it was prostitution,” she said.
The survivors said they were told they owed traffickers millions of CFA francs and faced threats, intimidation and pressure whenever they resisted or requested to return home.
A 17-year-old victim identified as Esther said she was recruited while working in Lagos after being promised a domestic service job. She said she eventually escaped with the help of a Nigerian resident in Mali who assisted several of the girls in returning home.
Another rescued teenager from Cross River State said she and her sister accepted offers of employment abroad only to discover on arrival that the promised jobs did not exist.
The girls warned that many other Nigerian women remain trapped in similar circumstances across Mali, Burkina Faso and other African countries.
Meanwhile, two women from Edo State, identified as Augusta and Elizabeth, also recounted their experiences after being rescued from Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire.
Augusta, 20, from Owan area of Edo State, said she travelled earlier this year believing she would find better opportunities abroad.
“Upon arrival, I realised the work was not what I had been told. When I refused, I was assaulted and pressured to recruit other girls, including my sister,” she said.
She added that traffickers claimed she owed about 1.5 million CFA francs but never provided details of her earnings or repayments.
Elizabeth said she accompanied Augusta after being promised legitimate employment in Côte d’Ivoire.
“When we arrived, we discovered the jobs did not exist. We were expected to engage in activities we never agreed to before leaving Nigeria,” she said.
Both women described harsh living conditions and said they eventually sought help after realising they had become trapped in a cycle of exploitation and debt bondage.
GAHTO said the rescue of the Edo victims followed a request from NAPTIP’s Benin Zonal Command and that the women were formally received by NAPTIP officials on arrival in Nigeria.
Speaking during the handover of some of the rescued victims to community leaders from Plateau State, President of the Birom Community Association in Lagos, Julius Bodiacubb, expressed concern over the rising incidence of human trafficking involving young women.
He called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, communities and civil society groups to tackle trafficking networks and protect vulnerable young people.
GAHTO reiterated its commitment to combating human trafficking and urged Nigerians seeking opportunities abroad to verify job offers and travel arrangements before leaving the country.
The organisation also appealed to families and communities to remain vigilant and report suspicious recruitment activities to the appropriate authorities.
