Faith Joseph Escapes Human Traffickers in Mali after rejecting prostitution, rescued with help from Edo State Migration Agency

The 18-year-old narrated how she was deceived into believing she had secured a supermarket job in Lagos, only to find herself trafficked across West Africa.

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Joseph, who worked as a maid in Afuze, Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State, said she was lured with the promise of a salesgirl position in Lagos. But instead of Lagos, she was smuggled through Benin Republic and taken to Mali.

“When we arrived in Lagos at night, we slept in a hotel. The next day, we went to Cotonou. I asked why we passed Lagos, but she said we had not reached our destination,” Joseph recalled.

“In Cotonou, she handed me over to a driver who took me to Mali. When I got there, I realized it was prostitution. I refused.”

Despite pressure from her host, Joseph stood her ground. She told them she was tricked and wanted to return home.

Her traffickers, however, insisted she could not leave until a replacement was brought. After three weeks, she fled to a police station and survived on the kindness of strangers until she was rescued and repatriated with the help of the Edo State Migration Agency.

The agency’s Director General, Lucky Agazumah, urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspected trafficking cases.

He stressed that Governor Monday Okpebholo is committed to prosecuting traffickers and protecting victims.

Human trafficking has long plagued Edo State, often targeting vulnerable young girls. In 2018, the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, compelled native doctors to revoke deadly oaths traffickers used to control victims, and placed curses on those who continue the practice.