Three young Nigerian ladies have been rescued from Mali, where they were allegedly held against their will and forced into sex slavery. The operation was carried out through the collaboration of the Global Anti-Human Trafficking Organization (GAHTO) and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Lagos State Command. The rescue was coordinated by Comrade Prosper Kayode, founder of GAHTO, who has been at the forefront of the campaign against human trafficking in Nigeria and across Africa.
The victims, identified as Blessing from Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State, Basira from Badagry, Lagos, and Zinop from Igando, Alimosho, Lagos, recounted their ordeal after being lured with promises of lucrative jobs abroad.
According to them, the journey began at Alimosho, Igando, through an agent known as Pamela, a Ghanaian woman who arranged their travel. From Igando, they were moved through Yanoba and Mile 2, and later ferried by boat through waterways close to Cotonou, Benin Republic, before being taken to Mali.
The victims said it was at that point they realized they had been sold into modern-day slavery. The young women, speaking in tears, described their ordeal as horrifying and begged the government to intensify efforts to stop human trafficking and rescue more girls still trapped in foreign countries.
Comrade Prosper Kayode decried the growing rate of trafficking of young Nigerian girls to other African nations, emphasizing that this must be urgently stopped.
The three rescued girls are now in safe custody, receiving counseling and rehabilitation support under NAPTIP and other partner agencies.
Comrade Prosper Kayode commended NAPTIP Lagos for their collaboration in rescuing the three victims and urged the federal and state governments to support full rehabilitation and empowerment programs for all rescued survivors.
