Several Nigerians rescued from a human trafficking network in Côte d’Ivoire have narrated how fake job offers lured them into forced prostitution after they were promised legitimate employment.
The victims, identified as Monica, 17; Juliet, 18; Rejoice, 25; Joy, 22; and Monica Tamah, 38, were rescued during a joint operation involving Nigerian anti-trafficking authorities, Ivorian officials, and an international anti-human trafficking organisation.
According to the survivors, traffickers targeted them with promises of well-paying jobs before transporting them to Côte d’Ivoire, where they were allegedly held against their will and forced into commercial sex work.
One of the victims, Monica from Benue State, said she believed she had secured a bakery job in Abuja before she was taken through Lagos and eventually crossed into Côte d’Ivoire.
She explained that upon arrival, the promised employment did not exist. Instead, the victims were locked indoors, closely monitored, and instructed to reassure their families that they were safe whenever they were allowed to make phone calls.
Monica recalled that when she broke down in tears while speaking to her mother, the traffickers immediately ended the call. She also alleged that money earned from their exploitation was constantly deducted without explanation.
Another survivor, Monica Tamah, said she travelled abroad hoping to earn enough money to support her family and pay her daughter’s school fees. However, she discovered she had been trafficked for prostitution and was told she had to repay transportation expenses through sex work.
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She alleged that victims were forced to serve numerous clients daily while the traffickers collected large sums of money from their exploitation, leaving them with little or no earnings. Tamah said she remained in captivity for about six months before she was rescued.
Following the operation, a time-frames King campaigners urged Nigerians to verify overseas job opportunities through appropriate government agencies before accepting employment offers abroad. They also called for stronger cooperation among governments and security agencies to dismantle trafficking networks and protect vulnerable people from exploitation.
The advocates warned that rising unemployment, economic hardship, and irregular migration continue to make many Nigerians easy targets for traffickers who disguise their operations as legitimate recruitment opportunities.
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