Five survivors describe how promises of employment in Côte d’Ivoire allegedly ended in captivity and forced commercial sex work

Five Nigerians recently rescued from trafficking in Côte d’Ivoire have recounted how seemingly promising employment opportunities turned into months of captivity, exploitation and forced commercial sex work after traffickers allegedly lured them abroad with false promises of better lives.

Also read: Alabama sex trafficking case delayed after guilty plea

The survivors, identified as Monica, 17, Juliet, 18, Rejoice, 25, Joy, 22, and Monica Tamah, 38, were rescued in a joint operation involving the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Ivorian authorities and the Global Anti-Human Trafficking Organisation.

The operation exposed the devastating consequences of deceptive recruitment practices, with the victims saying their desire for employment and improved economic circumstances was exploited by traffickers who allegedly transported them from Nigeria to the neighbouring West African country.

In a statement obtained on Thursday, GAHTO founder Prosper Michael said the rescue followed months of alleged exploitation and abuse suffered by the victims.

For 17-year-old Monica from Benue State, the ordeal began with what appeared to be an ordinary job opportunity.

She said she accepted an offer to work at a bakery in Abuja after informing her parents because she believed the opportunity was genuine.

Instead, she said, the journey took her from Abuja through Lagos and eventually to Côte d’Ivoire, where the promise of employment quickly disappeared.

“I informed my parents because I believed the offer was genuine. We later realised there were no jobs after we were locked in a room,” Monica said.

The teenager said the victims were closely monitored and instructed to reassure their families whenever they were permitted to make telephone calls.

She recalled one particularly distressing conversation with her mother, during which her traffickers allegedly intervened after she began crying.

“When I spoke to my mother, I started crying, and they immediately collected the phone from me. They kept deducting money from the little we earned without explaining why,” she said.

Monica and another victim eventually managed to escape with help from sympathetic residents, who assisted them in contacting GAHTO.

For Monica Tamah, the decision to travel to Côte d’Ivoire was driven by a desire to support her family and pay for her daughter’s education.

Instead, she said, she discovered that the job she had been promised did not exist and that she had allegedly been trafficked into prostitution.

“When we got there, we discovered there were no jobs. Instead, we were told we had been brought for prostitution and had to repay transportation debts through sex work,” Tamah said.

Tamah alleged that she spent about six months in captivity, where she and other victims were subjected to repeated sexual exploitation.

She said the traffickers allegedly forced some of the women to have sex with as many as 15 men a day while making significant sums of money from their exploitation.

“They made about 50,000 CFA francs every day from us, but we received little or nothing. I remained there for about six months before I was rescued,” she said.

GAHTO said its representative in Côte d’Ivoire, working alongside local authorities, also rescued three other victims from Benue State in a separate operation.

The organisation described the rescue operations as a significant breakthrough in efforts to disrupt human trafficking networks and protect Nigerians vulnerable to exploitation abroad.

It urged Nigerians considering overseas employment to verify recruitment offers through appropriate government agencies and conduct thorough checks before travelling.

The organisation also called for stronger cooperation among governments, law enforcement agencies and international partners to dismantle trafficking networks, rescue victims and ensure that those responsible face justice.

The accounts of the survivors highlight a familiar pattern in human trafficking cases, where traffickers exploit economic hardship and the desire for a better life by disguising criminal operations as legitimate employment opportunities.

Unemployment, financial pressure and irregular migration continue to leave many young Nigerians vulnerable to deceptive recruiters, according to anti-trafficking advocates.

Prospective migrants have therefore been urged to verify the identity and credentials of recruiters, confirm the legitimacy of employers and report suspicious offers to relevant authorities before accepting opportunities abroad.

The cases also underline the dangers of travelling without adequate information about employment arrangements, accommodation and legal status in destination countries.

For victims, however, the consequences can extend far beyond financial loss.

Trafficking can involve physical confinement, psychological trauma, sexual violence and prolonged exploitation, often leaving survivors facing a difficult process of recovery after rescue.

The rescue of the Nigerian women from Côte d’Ivoire is therefore both a powerful reminder of the dangers posed by fraudulent overseas job offers and a warning that trafficking networks continue to exploit vulnerable people seeking economic opportunities.

Also read: Speaker Abbas seeks tougher Nigeria-Italy anti-trafficking ties

As authorities work to identify and prosecute those responsible, the survivors’ accounts underscore the urgent need for stronger preventive measures, better public awareness and closer international cooperation to ensure that promises of a better future do not become a pathway into modern slavery.