KINGSLEY EBERE
The Global Anti-Human Trafficking Organization, GAHTO, has rescued and repatriated three Nigerian women who were allegedly lured to Mali with false promises of employment but were forced into prostitution, in what officials described as a major setback for a transnational trafficking syndicate operating in West Africa.
The survivors — Joy Daniel, 23, and Janet Davou, 22, both from Plateau State, and Victoria Sunny Alexander, 23, from Delta State — were formally handed over to officials of the Plateau State Government in Lagos following their rescue from Tabakoto, a gold-mining community in Mali’s Kayes Region.
The operation was carried out through a coordinated intervention involving GAHTO, the Plateau State Government, and anti-human trafficking partners working across national borders.
While recounting their ordeal, the survivors described months of alleged abuse, physical violence, psychological manipulation, poor feeding, and sexual exploitation by individuals who preyed on their desperation for better economic opportunities.
Joy Daniel said her ordeal began while working as a domestic helper in the Ajah area of Lagos on a monthly salary of ₦25,000. Seeking to improve her family’s living conditions, she accepted what she believed was a genuine overseas job offer.
According to Joy, Janet introduced her to a man identified as ‘Kingsley’ in the Abule-Egba area of Lagos. Kingsley allegedly claimed his sister owned a restaurant in Mali and needed workers. Believing the offer, Joy and Janet embarked on the journey without knowing they were being drawn into a trafficking network.
Rather than travel directly, the two women were allegedly moved across borders at night. They first arrived in Cotonou, Benin Republic, where their phone SIM cards were reportedly deactivated to prevent contact with relatives. From there, they were transported to Bamako and later to Tabakoto near the Mali-Senegal border.
On arrival, the women said they were handed over to a Nigerian woman referred to as a “madam” who allegedly coordinated the prostitution network from Nigeria, with local accomplices supervising operations in Mali. Their phones, identity cards, and personal belongings were allegedly confiscated.
The survivors alleged that about 15 young women were kept in overcrowded and unhygienic rooms, given one meal daily, and subjected to threats and beatings for refusing to engage in prostitution. Joy said she fell ill and received treatment while in captivity. She also alleged that victims were subjected to rituals and forced to swear oaths to repay a transportation debt of 1.5 million CFA Francs.
Joy further alleged that traffickers encouraged unprotected sex by promising faster debt repayment, which she said led to health complications among victims. She claimed many of those held were teenagers recruited from schools and had spent between three and four years in captivity without clearing their debts.
The rescue was triggered after Joy allegedly gained temporary access to a phone and contacted her sister in Nigeria via WhatsApp, sending photos of the location and details of a suspected trafficker’s TikTok account. The information was forwarded to GAHTO Founder, Prosper Michael, who coordinated the rescue with Plateau State officials.
At the handover, Special Adviser to the Plateau State Governor on Gender Matters, Olivia Dazyam, described trafficking as a grave challenge fueled by poverty and unemployment. She said the state government, through the Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission, is running sensitization campaigns across 17 LGAs and will provide the survivors with counseling, rehabilitation, vocational training, and economic support.
Representing the Plateau State Liaison Office in Lagos, Mr. Victor Daya confirmed arrangements to transport the women to Jos for rehabilitation and reintegration. The survivors have appealed for economic support to rebuild their lives. Janet warned youths against unverified overseas job offers, while Victoria requested assistance to care for her five-year-old child and start a legitimate business.