Three women from Plateau State have been rescued after they were allegedly deceived with fake job promises and trafficked to Mali for prostitution, in a case that has renewed concerns over human trafficking and labour exploitation targeting vulnerable Nigerians.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the victims — Becky Ibrahim, Blessing Nanging and Miracle Yakubu — were rescued and returned to Nigeria with the help of the Global Anti-Human Trafficking Organization, GAHTO.
Speaking in Lagos after their rescue, the women said they accepted offers of work in Lagos due to poverty and unemployment, only to be taken across borders to Mali.
One of the victims, Becky Ibrahim, 35, a widow and mother of three, said she was approached in Jos by a man who promised to help her get a job in Lagos. Hoping to support her children and pay school fees, she agreed to travel.
She said the journey continued through Cotonou and ended in Mali, where she alleged that she and the others were forced into prostitution and beaten when they refused.
Blessing Nanging said she left Plateau State believing she had secured a legitimate job to provide for her two children. She claimed the traffickers later told her the “shop work” was actually prostitution and that anyone who refused was intimidated and punished.
Miracle Yakubu, 23, said she was attacked and injured after attempting to escape with another victim.
The women urged young Nigerians to be cautious of suspicious overseas job offers and to avoid travelling with strangers promising employment abroad.
“Stay where you are and find something genuine to do. Don’t follow people because they promise you jobs abroad,” Becky said.
The rescued women were received in Lagos by members of the BIROM Association, who assisted with arrangements for their return to Plateau State.
Naomi Badu, financial secretary of the BIROM Association in Lagos, said the group responded immediately after learning the victims had been brought back into Nigeria through Ghana.
“We always try to support our people whenever they are stranded, trafficked or in distress,” she said.
Human rights advocate and journalist, Jumai Madaki said poverty, insecurity, family instability and discrimination against girls have made many young women from Plateau State vulnerable to traffickers. She called for stronger community action, stricter enforcement of anti-trafficking laws and more support for the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP.
GAHTO President, Comrade Prosper, also raised concerns over cases of labour exploitation involving Nigerians trafficked to Egypt. He alleged that some traffickers confiscate passports and force victims into exploitative labour for up to two years without pay.
“We will submit the names of those involved to security agencies for investigation and possible arrest,” he said.
GAHTO called on the Nigerian government, security agencies and international partners to intensify efforts against trafficking networks operating across Africa and the Middle East.