Olugbenga Ige
The Global Anti-Human Trafficking Organisation has called for urgent and coordinated action to curb the rising cases of human trafficking in the country.
In a statement issued on Monday, GAHTO’s founder, Prosper Michael, the organisation urged the Nigerian government, international organisations, and private individuals to help dismantle trafficking networks and protect vulnerable citizens.
He described human trafficking as one of the fastest-growing criminal enterprises globally, warning that it continues to thrive on deception, coercion, and false promises.
“Human trafficking remains a grave crime against humanity. These networks take advantage of vulnerable individuals and strip them of their dignity and freedom.
“It is one of the fastest-growing criminal enterprises globally, driven by organised networks that prey on vulnerable individuals. Rescue, rehabilitation, and empowerment all require significant resources. Without support, our efforts are limited,” he said.
He also spoke on how three survivors narrated how they were lured with promises of jobs abroad but ended up in forced prostitution.
Three young women—Abibat, Boluwatife, and Zainab recounted how they were promised employment in Malaysia but were instead trafficked to Mali and other African countries.
According to them, they were recruited by a suspected agent identified as Peter Osas and convinced through a staged video call with a woman known as “Angel.”
“We were told to cooperate with any questioning, and everything seemed real at the time,” one of the victims said.
They said their journey began on February 17, 2026, from Lagos through the Seme border into Cotonou, Benin Republic, and across several undocumented routes.
The victims said they only realised they had been deceived after arriving at a remote settlement in Mali known as Jabani.
“They changed our names, placed us under strict watch, and forced us into prostitution,” one of them said.
They were subjected to a debt bondage system of about 1.2 million CFA francs each and endured harsh conditions, including physical abuse, illness, and restricted communication.
“There was constant pressure to meet daily targets. Some of the girls there were as young as 13,” another survivor said.
He stated that their rescue was eventually secured through joint efforts by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and GAHTO after they managed to contact their families.
Michael noted that the trafficking crisis is widespread, with Nigerian victims often taken to countries such as Egypt, Libya, Iraq, and other parts of West Africa.
“Victims are often stripped of their freedom. Their documents are confiscated, and their movements restricted, effectively reducing them to modern-day slavery,” he said.
He added that while many women are forced into sexual exploitation, men are also trafficked for forced labour under false job offers.
“Every victim represents lost potential. These are individuals who could have contributed meaningfully to national development,” he said.
The organisation also raised concerns about Nigerians currently stranded in Egypt under exploitative labour conditions, noting that many are too weak to work and unable to return home due to strict residency requirements and lack of funds.
It called for immediate evacuation efforts to rescue affected victims and proposed the establishment of vocational training centres to rehabilitate survivors and equip them with practical skills.
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