Several Nigerians rescued from human trafficking networks in Côte d’Ivoire have narrated how fake job offers lured them into captivity, where they were allegedly forced into commercial sex work.
The victims, identified as Monica, 17; Juliet, 18; Rejoice, 25; Joy, 22; and Monica Tamah, 38, said traffickers preyed on their desire for better livelihoods, convincing them to travel to the neighbouring West African country with promises of well-paid employment.
Their rescue followed a coordinated operation involving the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Ivorian authorities and the Global Anti-Human Trafficking Organisation.
In a statement obtained by The Punch on Thursday, GAHTO founder, Prosper Michael, said the intervention came after the victims had endured months of exploitation and abuse.
One of the survivors, 17-year-old Monica from Benue State, said she believed she was travelling for a bakery job in Abuja before the journey unexpectedly continued through Lagos to Côte d’Ivoire.
“I informed my parents because I believed the offer was genuine. We later realised there were no jobs after we were locked in a room,” she said.
She explained that the traffickers kept the victims under constant surveillance and instructed them to reassure their families that they were safe whenever they were permitted to make phone calls.
“When I spoke to my mother, I started crying, and they immediately collected the phone from me. They kept deducting money from the little we earned without explaining why,” she recalled.
Monica said she eventually escaped alongside another victim with the help of compassionate residents, who assisted them in contacting GAHTO.
Another survivor, Monica Tamah, said she travelled to Côte d’Ivoire hoping to earn enough money to support her family and fund her daughter’s education, only to discover she had been trafficked into prostitution.
“When we got there, we discovered there were no jobs. Instead, we were told we had been brought for prostitution and had to repay transportation debts through sex work,” she said.
Tamah said she spent about six months in captivity, alleging that she and other victims were forced to have sex with as many as 15 men every day.
“They made about 50,000 CFA francs every day from us, but we received little or nothing. I remained there for about six months before I was rescued,” she added.
GAHTO further disclosed that its representative in Côte d’Ivoire, in collaboration with local authorities, rescued three additional victims from Benue State in a separate operation.
The organisation described the rescues as a significant milestone in efforts to combat human trafficking and advised Nigerians to verify foreign job and migration opportunities through relevant government agencies before travelling abroad.
It also called for stronger cooperation among governments, security agencies and international partners to dismantle trafficking syndicates, rescue more victims and ensure offenders are prosecuted.
Anti-trafficking advocates warned that worsening economic conditions, unemployment and irregular migration continue to expose many Nigerians, particularly young people, to traffickers posing as legitimate recruiters.
They urged prospective migrants to thoroughly verify employment offers and report suspicious recruitment activities to law enforcement authorities.
They added that human trafficking remains a major threat to vulnerable Nigerians seeking better opportunities overseas, with criminal networks increasingly using fraudulent job offers to lure victims into forced prostitution, sexual exploitation and other forms of modern slavery.
