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A major transnational human trafficking syndicate operating across West Africa has suffered a significant setback following the rescue and repatriation of three young Nigerian women who were lured to Mali with false promises of employment but were instead forced into prostitution under brutal and inhumane conditions.
The victims—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 after their rescue from Tabakoto, a gold-mining settlement in Mali’s Kayes Region, where they had been held in sexual captivity.
Their rescue followed a coordinated intervention involving the Global Anti-Human Trafficking Organisation (GAHTO), officials of the Plateau State Government and anti-human trafficking partners working across national borders.
Recounting their ordeal, the survivors described months of unimaginable abuse, physical violence, psychological manipulation, starvation and sexual exploitation at the hands of traffickers 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, where she earned a monthly salary of ₦N25,000. Hoping to improve her family’s living conditions, she accepted what appeared to be a genuine overseas employment offer.
According to Joy, Janet, who later became a fellow survivor, introduced her to a man identified simply as Kingsley, who lives in the Abule-Egba area of Lagos. Kingsley claimed his sister owned a restaurant in Mali and needed workers. Believing the offer was genuine, Joy and Janet embarked on the journey, unaware they were walking into a sophisticated trafficking network.
Instead of travelling directly, they were secretly moved across several international borders under the cover of darkness. They first arrived in Cotonou, Benin Republic, where their mobile phone SIM cards were deliberately deactivated to cut them off from their families and prevent them from seeking help.
From there, they were transported to Bamako before finally arriving in Tabakoto, a remote gold-mining community near the Mali-Senegal border.
Upon arrival, the promised restaurant jobs turned out to be a scam. They were handed over to a Nigerian trafficker, popularly known as a “madam”, who allegedly coordinated the prostitution network from Nigeria while local accomplices supervised operations in Mali.
The victims said their mobile phones, national identity cards and other personal belongings were immediately confiscated. They described their accommodation as filthy, overcrowded and completely unfit for human habitation.
According to them, as many as 15 young women were crammed into tiny rooms resembling pigsties, surviving on one meal a day while enduring constant intimidation and severe beatings whenever they resisted prostitution.
Joy recalled spending days in tears while lying in a filthy room receiving treatment for a serious illness. She said the traffickers also subjected them to traditional rituals involving alligator pepper and juju mirrors, compelling them to swear oaths never to escape and to repay an imposed transportation debt of 1.5 million CFA francs.
She said the rituals were intended to instil fear and ensure total obedience.
Joy further disclosed that she was already suffering from chronic pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) before leaving Nigeria, but her condition deteriorated rapidly in Mali.
Medical examinations reportedly confirmed that the infection had spread internally, yet the traffickers ignored repeated medical advice and allegedly forced her to continue receiving clients even while she was on intravenous drips and injectable medications.
The survivors also described what they called a serious public health crisis within the trafficking camps. According to them, traffickers encouraged unprotected sex by promising that girls who accepted clients without condoms would repay their debts faster.
Joy said many victims contracted infections under the arrangement, causing local patronage to decline as residents became aware of the health risks.
She further alleged that many girls trapped in the network were teenagers recruited directly from secondary schools, some barely into adolescence. Many, she said, had remained in captivity for three to four years without clearing their imposed debts despite years of exploitation.
The breakthrough came after Joy secretly gained temporary access to a mobile phone. Using WhatsApp, she contacted her younger sister in Nigeria and sent crucial evidence, including photographs of the premises where they were being held, their exact location and the TikTok account belonging to the suspected trafficker.
The information was later forwarded to anti-trafficking advocates, including GAHTO founder, Prosper Michael, and his associate, Mrs Jumai, who immediately initiated efforts to trace the victims.
Michael said the rescue operation began after he received an emergency request from a strategic partner in Jos, who had earlier been contacted by the Plateau State Commissioner for Gender Affairs over two young women believed to be trapped in sexual slavery in Mali.
“Once we obtained their details, we established direct communication with the victims and coordinated efforts that eventually led to their rescue from the traffickers,” he said.
He called for stronger regional collaboration among governments, civil society organisations and international agencies to dismantle trafficking networks operating across West Africa.
“I want to use this opportunity to call for more collaboration because thousands of our young girls are currently held in sexual captivity across various West African countries,” he said.
Michael added that mounting pressure from anti-trafficking organisations eventually forced members of the syndicate to abandon their plans.
Fearing imminent arrest, the traffickers hurriedly bought return tickets for Joy and Janet and arranged their departure from Mali before authorities could apprehend them.
Victoria Sunny Alexander narrated a similar ordeal.
The 23-year-old orphan and single mother of a five-year-old child said she was trafficked from Benin to Mali after being promised decent employment.
When she discovered she was expected to engage in prostitution, she refused and eventually escaped to Cotonou, where she became stranded until rescue networks intervened.
Speaking during the official handover, the Special Adviser to the Plateau State Governor on Gender Matters and Executive Secretary of the Plateau State Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission, Olivia Dazyam, described human trafficking as one of the gravest social challenges confronting vulnerable young Nigerians.
She attributed the increasing cases to poverty, unemployment and the activities of criminal syndicates that exploit desperate job seekers with false promises of employment abroad.
“They tell our people that they have employment opportunities, but they are merely taking advantage of them. Before we know it, our children are exposed to the horrors of human trafficking, both within Nigeria and in foreign countries,” she said.
Dazyam commended the collaborative efforts of civil society organisations, anti-trafficking advocates and international partners whose interventions ensured the victims’ safe return.
She also praised the Plateau State Government for its commitment to combating trafficking through policy implementation, victim support and public enlightenment.
According to her, the Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission is implementing an extensive prevention strategy anchored on the Child Rights Law and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act.
She disclosed that awareness campaigns are ongoing across the 17 local government areas of Plateau State to educate parents and young people on the dangers of human trafficking and irregular migration.
“We are carrying out intensive sensitisation across the state to remind parents of their responsibilities because when children are neglected, they become vulnerable to traffickers who lure them with false promises of better lives,” she said.
Dazyam assured that the rescued women would receive psychosocial counselling, rehabilitation, vocational training and economic empowerment to help them rebuild their lives.
Representing the Plateau State Liaison Office in Lagos, Mr Victor Daya assured that the government would not abandon the victims.
He confirmed that arrangements had been concluded to transport them safely to Jos, where they would undergo rehabilitation and reintegration programmes before receiving support to begin productive livelihoods.
Now safely back in Nigeria, the survivors are appealing for economic assistance to rebuild their lives.
Janet Davou warned Nigerian youths against accepting offers of restaurant jobs abroad without proper verification, insisting that many such offers are merely recruitment channels for prostitution syndicates.
Victoria also appealed for support to enable her care for her five-year-old child and establish a legitimate business capable of sustaining her family.
