Nigerian survivors of human trafficking have shared harrowing accounts of exploitation in Côte d’Ivoire, where they were deceived with promises of jobs but ended up trapped in forced labor and prostitution.
The victims, aged 17 to 38, said traffickers preyed on their hopes for a better life. They were promised bakery work and other employment opportunities, only to be locked in rooms and coerced into sexual exploitation.
According to Prosper Michael, founder of the Global Anti-Human Trafficking Organisation, the women were rescued in a joint operation involving Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Ivorian authorities. The group described the mission as a significant breakthrough in its campaign against trafficking networks across West Africa.
One survivor, Monica, 17, said she accepted a bakery job in Abuja before being transported through Lagos to Côte d’Ivoire. She recalled being forced to lie to her parents about her safety and having her phone seized when she cried during a call home. Another survivor, Monica Tamah, said she hoped to support her family and fund her daughter’s education but was instead forced into prostitution, often compelled to sleep with up to 15 men a day.
GAHTO reported that traffickers made tens of thousands of CFA francs daily from the victims’ exploitation, while the women received little or nothing. Some escaped with the help of local residents, while others were freed through coordinated rescue efforts. Three additional victims from Nigeria’s Benue State were rescued in a separate operation.
Globally, human trafficking remains a staggering crisis. An estimated 40.3 million people are trapped in modern slavery, including 28 million in forced labor and 12.3 million in sexual exploitation. Women and girls account for 71 percent of victims, while children make up nearly one in four. The criminal industry generates $150 billion annually, making it one of the most profitable transnational crimes.
International cooperation has become central to dismantling trafficking networks. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons have urged countries to adopt victim-centered, gender-sensitive approaches. Prosecutors from nearly 60 nations recently met in Morocco to strengthen cross-border collaboration, share intelligence, and pursue traffickers who operate across multiple jurisdictions.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called trafficking “an abhorrent crime” and urged governments to invest in stronger laws, victim support programs, and technology to detect and prosecute offenders. He emphasized that victims must be placed at the center of anti-trafficking policies, and that global solutions are essential to confront a crime that transcends borders.
