Follow Us on Google
The Nigeria Police Force has rescued a 21-year-old Nigerian woman who was trafficked to Mali, sold for CFA 420,000 (about N770,000) and forced into prostitution.
The victim, identified as Godiya Amos (not her real name) from Akwanga, Nasarawa State, was rescued by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department Special Tactical Squad (FID-STS) after an operation conducted between October 1 and 27, 2026.
Commander of FID-STS, ACP Victor Ogbiede Godfrey disclosed the breakthrough during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said the operation followed “actionable digital intelligence” and directives from the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu.
Three suspected members of the syndicate were arrested, including Orgba Solomon, 28, also known as Terry, who was identified as the gang leader residing in Benin Republic.
The other suspects are Daniel Aondofa, 26, and Thankgod Ocho, 25.
Police said all three are indigenes of Benue State.
According to police, Godiya was lured by Solomon on September 26, 2026, with promises of lucrative employment abroad.
She was taken through Lagos and illegal border routes into Benin Republic before being moved to artisanal gold-mining camps in Mali.
Other News
Police said Solomon “confiscated her mobile phone and travel documents” before her departure, cutting off communication with her family.
On arrival in Mali, she was handed over to two other traffickers identified as Mohammed and Marian (aka Riana) and allegedly “sold for CFA 420,000, equivalent to approximately N770,000.”
ACP Godfrey said her refusal to engage in prostitution attracted severe beatings and she was allegedly forced to take a blood oath at a shrine before being subjected to sexual exploitation.
The syndicate was busted when Solomon returned to Nigeria on October 18, 2026, to recruit more young women for trafficking to Senegal and Mali. Operatives tracked and arrested him alongside his accomplices.
The police said the suspects confessed to the crime and provided information that led to Godiya’s rescue from Mali.
The police further said the operation also led to the rescue of three other women — Martha Godiya, Amina Usman and Hadisa Yahaya — who were being recruited for trafficking and have since been reunited with their families.
In a more disturbing revelation, police said Godiya told investigators that “approximately 42 Nigerian women were being held in a makeshift camp within a remote gold-mining settlement” in Mali, where they were “subjected to forced prostitution, severe beatings and slave-like conditions.”
The rescued victim has been taken to a police clinic for medical evaluation while investigations continue to rescue other victims and arrest fleeing members of the network.
