How 3 Nigerian Women Were Lured With Malaysia Job Offers, But Taken To Mali To Work As Prostitute | Citizen NewsNG
Citizen NewsNG
3 min read
Three Nigerian women have recounted how a suspected human trafficking syndicate deceived them with promises of jobs in Malaysia, only to move them through the Seme border into the Benin Republic and onward to Mali, where they were allegedly forced into prostitution and held under debt bondage.
The survivors, Bella Boluwatife, Linda Zainab and Amoke Joy, told Sunday Vanguard they were recruited by an agent identified as Peter Osas, who allegedly promised them legitimate jobs abroad as bar attendants and housekeepers.
According to the victims, what was presented as an overseas employment opportunity turned into a carefully coordinated trafficking operation that transported them across borders into Mali, where they said they were confined in makeshift camps and compelled into sex work.
Bella said the deception began in Ogun State, from where they were transported to the Seme border before being taken into Benin Republic.
She said: “An agent known simply as Peter Osas told us we were going to Malaysia to work. He handled the arrangements and spoke confidently, convincingly, assuring us of legitimate jobs abroad.
“Before our departure, we had a video call with a woman identified as ‘Angel,’ whom I later discovered sponsored our trip. Before the call, we were coached to answer ‘yes’ to every question she asked.”
Describing how they were moved into Mali, she said: “Then came the long road to Mali, six days, multiple checkpoints, armed officers, and questions we couldn’t answer. The driver spoke only French. At one point, we were nearly detained until a call was made and money exchanged hands. We were not travellers, we were cargo.”
She said the reality of their situation emerged upon arrival.
“That moment everything became clear: condoms, dozens of them; girls, some as young as 13, dressed in ways that left nothing to the imagination. The truth hit hard and fast. This was not Malaysia. This was not bar work. This was a brothel, and there was no way out. We had no choice,” Bella said.
She further alleged they were subjected to debt bondage.
We were told each of us owed 1.5 million CFA francs, a debt we had to repay to gain freedom. Every meal we ate, every movement, every breath came with a cost,” she said.
She added: “Customers came, different men every day. Sometimes five, sometimes more. The money went straight to our handlers. Freedom felt like an illusion until Joy found a way to reach her mother and told her what was happening.”
Joy said pressure from authorities eventually led to their release.
“Inside the camp, our bosses grew uneasy. They started asking us to lie. They wanted us to tell our parents we were okay, but we refused. When the pressure from the embassy intensified, our boss reluctantly allowed our return,” she said.
Founder of Global Anti-Human Trafficking Organization, Prosper K. A. Michael, said the case reflects a wider trafficking network operating across West Africa.
“Human trafficking is a major form of global crime against humanity, involving a well-organised network of recruiters, transporters, and exploiters who use force, fraud, and deception to lure victims,” he said.
He added: “Over the years, we have carried out rescue operations of victims trafficked from Nigeria to countries such as Egypt, Libya, and Iraq.”
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