Human trafficking is a grave global issue, with victims often lured by false promises of opportunity abroad. This report by JENNIFER YARIMMA delves into the harrowing experiences of young Nigerian girls from Plateau State who were trafficked to othercountries. Lured by the prospect of a better life, they instead found themselves trapped in a cycle of exploitation and abuse. Their stories, and the efforts of organisations working to bring them home, shed light on the brutal reality faced by countless victims and the challenges in fighting this insidious crime
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) 2024 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, there was a 25 per cent increase in detected human trafficking victims globally in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. This is the story of two of the victims in Plateau State and the reactions of their parents and organisations involved in the effort to stem this growing menace that is threatening the future of young girls and causing great pain to families and society at large.
Nineteen-year-old Teyei Deborah James from Kufang in Jos, Plateau State, was one of the girls who fell into the hands of traffickers. They convinced her of a ‘greener pasture’ abroad, but she ended up in Ghana.
“My friend transported me to Ghana in March 2024. She had earlier deceived me that her brother’s girlfriend had opened a hairdressing salon in Lagos and they needed a worker. But as I got to Lagos, the story changed. I found myself in Ghana doing a dirty job (prostitution) after our travel documents were seized, along with our mobile phones, by our ‘madam’ to disconnect us from reaching out to anyone,” Deborah recalled, wiping away tears.
“Two of us actually travelled, but as soon as we got there, they separated us. Since then, I have never set my eyes on the other girl again.”
The young woman, who recently returned home, narrated her bitter experience in a strange land with regret, saying, “I settled my two madams N5 million because I was expected to pay back the travelling expenses I incurred, including accommodation. I paid the first madam 1.5 million naira and I was sold out to another woman who was her friend, where I paid 3.5 million naira before I left.
“I was given a target of about N60,000 to N100,000 daily, or my life would be miserable. This made me sleep with more than 10 men each day to meet the target, or else I would be beaten severely. There are bars at the ghetto where we were kept and we scouted for men to sleep with us.”
Deborah also said whenever any of the girls fell ill and could not work, no one paid attention to their condition, as their bosses were only concerned about the daily remittances. She said they used protective measures to some extent to avoid pregnancies and contracting sexually transmitted infections. She was able to find her way back home through what she called ‘divine intervention’.
“I was arrested by the police and while in detention, I pleaded that I needed to come back home (Nigeria). They linked me up with my mother. I told my mum I didn’t have money to return. Graciously, she sought help and I’m home now with the help of Mrs Jummai Madaki, the state coordinator of Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) in Plateau State,” she explained.
A different journey, similar nightmare
Another victim, 28-year-old Seer Gwanzwang, was trafficked to Guinea in March 2025. She also went through a bitter ordeal that will remain a lasting memory. Gwanzwang was reunited with her family in Bukuru, Jos South Local Government Council of Plateau State, in June this year.
Like other women who have gone through this harrowing experience, she shared her story: “I was trafficked from Jos via Lagos to Guinea, Conakry, where I ended up in a remote village. It all started when I reached out to a male friend in Lagos through a chat, appealing for help or if he had any idea where I could secure a job. He told me two weeks later that he had a friend who had just opened a company and needed a waitress who would be paid 250 thousand naira per month.
“I was given her number and I reached out to her. She said she would process my passport and transportation, and when I settled into the work I could pay her gradually.”
The journey was treacherous
“I left Jos for Lagos, and then to Benin Republic, where I was handed over to another agent. We went through difficult and remote routes to avoid immigration checkpoints. There were instances where we had to continue the journey on a motorbike that manoeuvred in the bushes for about four hours. We slept at mosques three times during my 10-day journey to Guinea.
“At one point, I fell off the bike due to speed but, luckily enough, I was able to run and catch up with the rider, but at a cost: I had to abandon one of my shoes as I ran fast to catch up with him or else I would be left at the mercy of wild beasts.”
She continued, “While on the journey, we were well fed with bread, sardines, chicken, and soft drinks. We were given one hundred thousand CFA francs as pocket money just to make us comfortable on the journey. At some point, we went by canoe across the river until we got to our destination.
“When I arrived, I didn’t see any decent building. All I saw were tarpaulins, and I asked where the hotel was that I needed to work. She bluntly told me that the work was prostitution because if they had told me, I wouldn’t have come.”
When Gwanzwang declined the new ‘offer’, her trafficker told the police to beat her into submission.
“She asked me to settle down to business and pay her for all the travel expenses that facilitated my trip. It was a traumatising experience; since I was not in an English-speaking country as they only speak French and Bambara, it made communication quite difficult for me. In the long run, I had no choice but to accept the offer, which made me sleep with an average of 30 men daily or more, depending on how hard I worked.”
“After I was mishandled and I got injured, I begged the madam to give me her phone to call my mum to let her know that I was fine. She cautioned me not to explain what I did to my mum. I spoke to my mum in our dialect, explaining my agony and appealing for help. My mother then gave the number to the relevant authorities, who eventually brought me back after I had paid about 250 thousand naira each to her and another woman I also worked for.
“God saved me when I met someone who could speak English. He quickly reported my matter to the police. That was how the women were arrested and detained. The authorities compelled them to pay my transportation back home.”
Lack of reintegration, a warning for others
It is disturbing that even after their return home, most of these returnees are not properly reintegrated into their communities with definite plans to empower them. It is no wonder that some still find their way back in order to reclaim their money from their agents.
Unfortunately, people of all sexes are not left out. In some cases, boys and men are used to push drugs. There was an instance in a prison after a raid was carried out, a reliable source said those in detention were injected with substances that made them lose their memory and were engaged in hard labour. Such individuals are potential victims of organ harvesting and ritual purposes.
Today, Seer and Teiye are back in the warm embrace of their families and friends in Jos and are now part of the voices appealing to young people to ‘take life easy’ and be content with what is available. These young people are also using their ordeal to sound a word of caution to Nigerians to see their homeland as the best place to be because a step away from home can be agonising and without freedom. They can be easy prey for human traffickers who are cashing in on people who are desperate to make quick money at all costs.
Fighting back: Role of law enforcement, NGOs
In a chat with THE NIGERIA STANDARD, the Plateau State Commander of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Adole Alexander, expressed his frustration, saying many people were ignorant on issues of trafficking. The scope, according to him, is narrowed down to the voluntary collection of children from one place to another under the guise of giving the children certain support either educationally or otherwise.
Adole cautioned parents not to give out their children to anyone, but to manage them as much as they can because most of them are victims of organ harvesting and ritual purposes.
“In view of this, we have synergised with the Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission and the Ministry of Women Affairs to embark on an awareness campaign in the 17 local government councils in the state. NAPTIP has a very strong empowerment policy for victims, especially those who want to go to school are enrolled in Grace Garden for free and about 12 victims are currently there. Kids with Vision home is another safe home for victims and they are empowered according to their chosen skills.”
The commander lamented some challenges confronting the unit and appealed for an official vehicle to enhance prompt responses to cases of trafficking that take staff within and outside the state for thorough investigations.
“We have written soliciting for such help, but to no avail. Again, suspects are usually released on bail and they run away, even if the bail bond is high, which makes the case linger. It is within the discretion of the court to either keep suspects or release them on bail.
“We therefore need acceleration on trafficking cases to avoid messing up with the organisation’s reputation. The crime of trafficking is a network as victims exchange hands. There are serious cases of trafficking on the plateau that need prompt intervention,” he added.
Role of poverty, social factors
Reacting, the Plateau State Coordinator of Child Protection Network and Vice President, Northern Region for the Association of Orphanages and Home Operators in Nigeria, Sandra Chikan, explained: “What we are seeing on the plateau is the number of children that have been trafficked now coming to light. The majority of cases have happened, a lot of children have been taken out for child labour.
“Many families who are not able to take care of their children sent them to relatives all around and traffickers have taken advantage of this and they come in the name of house helps, as orphanages or schools, in different regions of this country. And of course there’s a large percentage of Plateau children outside this country.”
Chikan added that the Plateau State Government, through the Gender Commission, Ministry of Women Affairs, the Plateau State Attorney General, NAPTIP and Child Protection Network, is doing great work in fighting this menace.
“Our network has been able to support children that have been reunited with their families; survivors of trafficking have been provided shelter, trauma healing and counselling, and rehabilitation. I know that there are cases the judiciary is handling at the moment.
“Poverty is a major cause as families can’t afford to send their children to school, and of course parents’ abdication of responsibilities, erosion of family values as children succumb to peer pressure, and social media influences as parents are struggling to make ends meet.”
She added: “It is, however, high time to also note that, there are evil men on the prowl and hence a need for the implementation of concrete strategies in mitigating the ugly menace of human trafficking in our society.”