Pathetic story of how Nigerian girls are being trafficked, forced into prostitution

By Chris Onokpegu
Dorcas was teaching in one of the private primary schools in Lagos but when her aunt came from Cote d’Ivoire, saw how robust and wealthy she was, she approached her for help. Two weeks later, she sent money to Dorcas to come over to Cote d’Ivoire for a teaching job, on arrival, she was lured into prostitution.

That is the story of many Nigerian girls who are stranded in Cote d’Ivoire. Many of them were promised lucrative jobs in Cote d’Ivoire and because of the exchange rate compared to Nigerian currency, they quickly jumped at the offers without asking questions. Many of them even traveled without informing any of their relatives let alone their parents because they believe if they do, they will be discouraged.

For Patricia, her mother’s younger sister sent for her to work as a sales girl in one of her shops in Abidjan. She was given somebody’s telephone number to call. According to her, the person took her from Maza Maza bus-stop in Lagos to the boundary between Nigeria and Benin Republic (Seme Border). She was handed over to another person and they passed through villages. They dressed in hijab to enable them pass through the bush because the area is a Muslim community, from there they boarded a flying boat to La-Kwadji Border in Togo. She was handed over to another person who took her and others to Accra, Ghana before they arrived in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

When they got to Abidjan, Patricia was excited because she saw a signboard that shows that they are in the city, only for them to board another vehicle to a destination before a bike took them inside the bush. She eventually found herself in a thick forest where she saw many chalets. That very day, she was introduced to other girls prostituting.

She was shocked and asked questions why she was brought there and not where the shop is. Her aunt tried to convince her but when she refused to succumb, she was beaten up, threatened and later taken to a nearby shrine where she was given the rules and regulations guiding the trade.

According to her, she was forced to swear before the gods, that a third party must not hear about their activities. Her phone was later seized and SIM broken while the other girls who cooperated had all their contacts wiped out before they were given their phones. They do that so that they won’t be able to communicate with anybody. She and the other girls were thoroughly searched and money seized from them also so that they won’t be able to escape.

For Shade, she was taken to Mile 2 where they boarded a boat for seven hours (11am to 6pm). And when they got to Togo, they passed through the bush after the agent of the traffickers discovered that the security agencies along that route were not on duty for reasons best known to them. Fortunately for her, she was given a number to call and while she was struggling with her phone, a Nigerian in Cote d’Ivoire saw her, asked questions, and when he discovered she was going to the ghetto, where she was convinced not to go further. Luckily for her, she yielded to the advise and she is presently in a safe hand.

Just like Patricia, the same treatment was meted on Christiana who was given three sets of chains. One of the chains worn on the waist is for men to continue to have sex with her on a daily basis. The second one on her leg is for them to dominate any territory they step on and the third one on her neck is for easy identification by her madam.

She said their madam also steals their underwears (pants and bra) from time to time and takes them to the shrines for renewal of charms.

Also, their clothes are seized and exchanged with skimpy and transparent dresses. Christiana said some of them were forced to wear only bra and pants some days just to lure men easily.

Meanwhile, for those who either refuse to swear before their gods or wear the clothes given to them, they are beaten up by hefty men and ladies. They are denied food and water and given severe punishments ranging from sweeping the compound with a stick of broom to fetching water for all the other sex workers.

For Justina, who is muscular and speaks good English said she does tiling for a living. She said she was told that there was a contract job in Ghana, only to be taken to Cote d’Ivoire, Bingerville to be precise.

Justina, who is 21 years old said when she got to the ghetto, she saw small girls between the ages of 10 to 13. According to her, she was the oldest.

For 13-years old Dorcas, who escaped from the traffickers’ den said she was lured from junior secondary school (JSS3) to Abidjan without her mother knowing because she stays with her aunt. The father is late and because she is the first child, she decided to do the job to support the family.

Deborah who shed tears while narrating her story said she would have loved to be a lawyer but she doesn’t have the means to go to school and she doesn’t want her siblings to suffer the same that is why she is doing the job not because she loves sleeping with men.

Another pathetic story is that of Chioma who is married with four children. According to her story, her husband was always beating her for no reason even when she was pregnant. She said she suffered so much pain especially when she had an accident and broke one of her legs hence she was forced to run out of the house with her children to her father’s house and when the man did not see them, he married another woman.

Chioma who leaps, and as a teacher, said because of the burden on his father, she picked up a job in a school nearby and while she was working, somebody offered her a job in Cote d’Ivoire. On reaching there, she was introduced to prostitution although she initially refused but after she was starved of food and water, she joined the trade.

During one of her adventures, a man insisted on having sex with her without using a contraceptive (condom) and when she refused, she was beaten up mercilessly and pushed from the balcony. She said she was lucky to hold the rail before she came down. She disclosed that many girls died from the trade from wicked customers and they thrown into the bush or buried unceremoniously.

Meanwhile, the girls prostituting are always given targets of between two million and three million cefas, an equivalent of five to seven million naira, before they are set free. 2,000 cefas is paid for each sex. Patricia said sometimes, she makes love to more than 50 men in a day just to be able to meet up her target on time.

She disclosed that some of the girls they met there have since completed their payments but due to greed, their madam refused to set them free hence they are closely monitored to ensure that they don’t have access to money to escape. Money is paid to Madam or her agent before they have sex with men.

However, it is very difficult for some of the girls to escape because they can’t communicate in French. Moreover, the madams are working with some of the villagers in the community who are also monitoring the movement of the girls.

Some of the girls who have escaped so far said they were helped by some good Samaritans who sneaked them out in the early hour of the day and whenever they escape, they are taken to the Nigerian Embassy, who are incapacitated hence the girls are handed over to the Nigerian Community in Cote d’Ivoire for onward movement back to Nigeria.

While at the Nigerian Community in Cote d’Ivoire, they are kept in a decent accommodation and fed on a daily basis until their traveling documents are ready for repatriation to Nigeria.

As at press time, about 980 girls have so far been sent to Nigeria. Traveling to Nigeria from Abidjan costs between 35,000 and 50,000 cefas about 120,000 and 150,000 naira depending on the exchange rate and a minimum of six to 10 persons travel on weekly basis on Wednesdays and Saturdays (days of movement for Young Shall Grow Motors).

President of the Nigerian Community, Chief Michael Emeka Onwuchelu said they are overwhelmed by the continuous and uncontrollable influx of young girls into Cote d’Ivoire for prostitution.

According to him, “We are tired because the problem is coming on a daily basis. We are calling on the government to do something urgently. We are getting fed up with the menace. We have been exhausted financially. We need government backing.”

An official of the Nigerian Embassy in Cote d’Ivoire said the menace is being caused by the Nigerian government for lack of concern.

The person who spoke on anonymity for fear of victimisation said, “We saw how they tackled the trafficking in Italy but they are not showing concerns in this case. If they really want to put an end to this menace, they will. The Government of Cote d’Ivoire is tired and has threatened that they might take drastic action soon because prostitution is prohibited in their country.

“The reason why the traffickers cannot be stopped is because they are very influential hence the embassy is handicapped and can do little or nothing about it, she said.

The woman continued, “Let me inform you that people are not missing in Nigeria, most of the girls are here. They don’t tell their parents or anybody before embarking on such trips. Also, ECOWAS should as a matter of urgency review their free trade zone that gives free access for ECOWAS members nation citizens. It is causing serious trafficking of young girls.

“The Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS and National Agency For The Prohibition Of Trafficking In Persons, NAPTIP should do due-diligence and background checks on travelers especially teenagers and girl-child. The NIS should also tackle the Illegal routes traffickers are using.”

“And finally, since the Embassy’s hands are tied and the burden is on the Nigerian Community in Cote d’Ivoire, the federal government should as a matter of urgency support them with money for the project, because if they remove their hands from it, the embarrassment and loss will be too grevious for the federal government to bear including Nigerians based in Cote d’Ivoire,” she concluded.

However, the good news is that many of the girls are willing to return to Nigeria including those who ran out of the camp to seek menial jobs like washing of plates, cleaning, etc. They have found out that it is not easy in Cote d’Ivoire hence they have decided to leave at the end of this month after receiving the salaries.

Some who are actually making brisk money from prostitution also claimed that they are tired of the illegal trade and want to return and start a business of their choice.
Some of them told our correspondent that they have been passing messages to their loved ones back home not to attempt to follow anybody anywhere especially to any of the West Africa countries because they will be forced into prostitution.

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