Concerns are mounting over the increasing cases of young Nigerian women trafficked to Mali, Libya, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates under the guise of job offers, only to be forced into prostitution on arrival.
According to a source, Mr Taofeeq Rasak, he told newsmen that traffickers now use promises of tailoring, domestic work, and other women empowerment programmes to deceive unsuspecting families and lure their daughters abroad.
He explained that his own niece, Suliyat Salaudeen, was a victim after being taken to Mali by one Mr Niyi, who had assured the family that she was going to work in a fashion company.
“We were told she was travelling for a tailoring job, but at the end of the day she and others were being used as prostitutes. When the news got to us, I immediately reported to the police. The man who lured her is now on the run,” Rasak said.
Family sources revealed that Suliyat was declared missing on 15th February, 2024.
Security sources further revealed that many of these trafficking rings are well-organised and often linked to corrupt officials who make it difficult for victims to escape.
Girls are stripped of their passports, placed under heavy debts running into hundreds of thousands of CFA, and threatened with death if they resist.
According to family accounts, Suliyat had been promised a tailoring opportunity in Mali but on arrival, was forced into sex work under the control of traffickers.
Her uncle and family last heard of her in Libya, but since then there has been no response and no one knows about her whereabouts.
Witnesses reported that other girls were killed when they resisted, while many endured physical and psychological abuse.
Authorities have urged Nigerians, especially young women, to be wary of suspicious travel offers.
Anti-trafficking campaigners also called on the government to intensify investigations and strengthen community awareness programmes to prevent more victims from falling prey.
