Three women from Plateau State have returned to Nigeria with harrowing stories of deception, abuse, and survival after being trafficked to Mali under the guise of legitimate employment. Becky Ibrahim, Blessing Nanging, and Miracle Yakubu were rescued through the intervention of the Global Anti-Human Trafficking Organisation, following what began as a search for jobs to escape poverty.
The ordeal started in Jos, where a man approached 35-year-old widow Becky Ibrahim with a promise of work in Lagos. Struggling to support her three children and pay school fees, she agreed to travel. But instead of stopping in Lagos, the journey continued through Cotonou and ended in Mali, where the women were forced into prostitution.
Blessing Nanging, a mother of two, said she left Plateau believing she had secured “shop work” to provide for her children. Upon arrival, traffickers revealed the real demand: s*x work. Those who resisted faced beatings and intimidation, the women told reporters during a Lagos briefing on Saturday.
The abuse turned violent for 23-year-old Miracle Yakubu after she attempted to escape. She said traffickers attacked and stabbed her with a broken bottle when she tried to flee with another victim. Despite the trauma, all three managed to survive and were later rescued and brought back to Nigeria via Ghana.
Speaking out, the women warned young Nigerians against falling for suspicious overseas job offers. “Stay where you are and find something genuine to do. Don’t follow people because they promise you jobs abroad,” Ibrahim urged. Their message comes amid rising reports of Nigerians lured abroad for forced labor and exploitation.
GAHTO President Prosper Michael said the case is part of a wider pattern of trafficking across Africa and the Middle East. He raised fresh concerns about Nigerians in Egypt whose passports are allegedly confiscated by sponsors, forcing them into unpaid labor for up to two years. GAHTO plans to submit names of suspected traffickers to security agencies for investigation.
The rescued women were received in Lagos by the BIROM Association community, which coordinated their return to Plateau State. Community leader Naomi Badu said the group acts swiftly whenever indigenes are stranded or trafficked. The women’s testimony adds to growing calls for tougher action against trafficking syndicates operating within and beyond Nigeria’s borders.