Mali trafficking rescue efforts freed four Nigerian girls from Okene Local Government Area in Kogi State after one of them sent a WhatsApp message asking for help. The girls, including a 14-year-old, were rescued in Morila, Mali, following an intervention involving Nigeria’s anti-trafficking agency and a partner organisation.
Prosper Michael, founder of the Global Anti-Human Trafficking Organisation (GAHTO), said the girls had been promised work in gold mining and shops. In a statement issued on Monday, he said they were subjected to sexual exploitation after travelling to Mali.
Mali trafficking rescue began with a WhatsApp plea
Michael said the alert reached the Uyo Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). An official there contacted him for assistance. Michael said he then spoke with one of the girls and worked with a Nigerian community leader in Mali to help secure their rescue.
In her message, the girl said her passport had been taken and that she feared for their safety, according to The ICIR’s report. The message put responders in Nigeria in contact with someone who could describe what was happening on the ground.
The job offers that took the girls to Mali
The job offers described by GAHTO involved two kinds of work. Some were told they could work in gold mining, while others were offered work in shops. According to Michael’s account, those promises were used to draw the girls abroad before they were exploited.
The passport seizure reported by one of the girls is a significant detail. Losing access to a travel document can make it harder to leave or arrange a return home. In this case, the girl was able to reach out through WhatsApp, and responders in Nigeria worked with a contact in Mali.
What is known after the rescue
NAPTIP’s Uyo Command raised concerns about the circumstances in which the youngest girl, who was 14, travelled to Mali. The published accounts describe how the rescue was coordinated but give limited details about any arrests or charges connected to the case.
The reports also give limited information about what longer-term support has been arranged for the girls. The rescue account identifies Okene as their home area and Morila as the place where they were found.
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