Nigerian girls trafficked to Mali, Côte d'Ivoire forced into prostitution - N5 million debt to gain freedom
Nigerian girls as young as 15 are trafficked to Mali and Côte d'Ivoire with fake job offers, then forced into prostitution to pay N5 million+ debts before freedom. A TikTok video shows victims in Mali's forest shanties servicing multiple men daily, lives endangered by criminals, with one pregnant girl stranded after paying N2.5 million.
Five girls rescued from Côte d'Ivoire last week reported being forced to sleep with 10-11 men daily, lured by promises of baking, hairdressing, and clothing sales jobs. They kept no earnings - expenses for food, slippers, clothing were deducted, and some generated millions of CFA francs for traffickers. Rescue involved NAPTIP collaborating with GAHTO and Ivorian authorities in Djiboroso and Boundiali (Bagoué Region), with victims repatriated to Nigeria.
Traffickers bribe border immigration officers to facilitate crossings. Experts link the trafficking surge to Nigeria's economic hardship and corrupt security agencies, urging government to fix the economy and secure borders to prevent vulnerable youth from seeking opportunities abroad.
What specific economic opportunities could Nigeria create domestically to reduce the vulnerability of girls to trafficking syndicates promising foreign employment?