Benue Teenager Recounts Escape From Alleged Sex Trafficking Ring in Mali

An 18-year-old girl from Benue State has recounted her escape from an alleged sex trafficking network in Mali after months of abuse and forced prostitution. The teenager, whose identity is being withheld, spoke to journalists after arriving in Makurdi at the weekend following her rescue and return to Nigeria.

She alleged that traffickers lured her and three other young women in March 2026 with promises of employment and financial independence abroad. The journey began in Benue State and passed through Otukpo, Enugu and Lagos before the girls were moved through several West African countries via illegal routes into Mali.

The teenager said the traffickers instructed them to disguise themselves as sachet water vendors in Lagos and later confined them indoors while arrangements were made for their departure from Nigeria. She alleged the syndicate used bush paths to evade immigration checks and provided falsified identity documents with altered ages and state origins.

Upon arrival in Mali, the girls were separated and handed over to different handlers who confiscated their phones and travel documents. The promised jobs never existed, she claimed, adding that she was forced into commercial sex work and compelled to surrender all earnings to her handler. The girls worked under harsh conditions, surviving on a single meal daily while facing intimidation, physical assault and threats.

The victim alleged that some girls were subjected to traditional oath-taking rituals and warned against escaping until they had repaid huge debts.