ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Seventeen-year-old Chinyere (not her real name) left her home in Enugu with promises of a brighter future from someone she trusted.
She, along with four other girls, was told they were traveling to Lagos for domestic work and educational opportunities. What awaited them instead was a descent into the shadowy world of human trafficking.
The Sojourn From Enugu to Mali
While on the bus to Lagos, an army officer noticed the girls and began asking questions. Each had been coached by traffickers to give different answers.
One claimed she was visiting an aunt, another said she was going to work. Suspicion grew, but after hours of waiting, the traffickers finally appeared at midnight and whisked them onto a night bus to Lagos. By the time they reached Mali, the deception was clear: the girls were forced into sexual exploitation.
She said, “When I was in the bus going to Lagos from Enugu with five other girls, we were being trafficked unknowingly. It happened that an army officer noticed us when we were put into the bus, and he began to ask us questions one by one. We were told what to say in case anyone asked us questions, and we said different things to the army officer. I said I was going to Lagos to see one of my aunties living there. We answered according to what our traffickers instructed us to say. At this point, I started to notice that all was not well.”
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Chinyere continued, “The army officer waited for our bus to move as he was already suspecting foul play, but the traffickers who were supposed to take us to Lagos never appeared until 12 a.m. (midnight), after the officer had left.”
Chinyere’s nightmare only deepened when they arrived in Mali. Everything became clear to her when she was forced into sexual exploitation instead of the promised jobs. At first, she resisted, crying and refusing to cooperate with them on the sexual demands.
“They told me if I wanted to go home, I should start walking back to Nigeria,” she later recounted. However, others accepted the offer while she refused it initially for two days. As there was no one to turn to or share her dilemma with, she eventually yielded under pressure and manipulation, enduring several months of abuse.
Her ordeal gradually became worse when she became pregnant and bore a child with a local man she cohabited with. Later on, the baby fell ill and died. This development worsened her situation, and before she could return to Nigeria, the loss of her child became another trauma added to the scars of her captivity. Even after her eventual rescue and repatriation, Chinyere’s struggles were far from over. Tailoring lessons meant to help her restart life ended abruptly; the weight of trauma proved too heavy.
Human Trafficking: A Global and Local Crisis
Globally, more than 27 million people remain trapped in modern slavery, according to the United Nations. Nigeria is both a source and destination country, with children and young women the most vulnerable.
Studies by NAPTIP also show that about 65 percent of trafficking cases occur internally — that is, the movement of people or victims from rural to urban areas — while 35 percent occur externally, from Nigeria to outside the country, with destinations including Mali, Europe, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire.
NAPTIP, in 2023 alone, rescued over 2,700 trafficked victims, but experts believe this figure represents only a fraction of the true scale.
Also, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in 2022, over 69,000 victims were detected globally, though the real figure is believed to be far higher due to the challenge of underreporting. Women and girls are disproportionately trafficked for sexual exploitation and domestic work, while men and boys are often forced into hard labor, which they never planned for.
Enugu, known as the coal city, has become both a source and transit hub. Unemployment, poverty, and migration dreams fuel the trade. Police have intercepted multiple cases this year, rescuing minors en route to Ghana and Mali. These are not isolated incidents but part of a deep-rooted cross-border network.
The Psychological Chains
Rescue does not erase trauma. Survivors of human trafficking often live with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), shame, and depression.
According to the Program Coordinator at U Child Support Initiative in Enugu, Nwobodo Felicia Chiamaka, trafficked women experience fear, flashbacks, worthlessness, nightmares, and avoidance.
Speaking with our correspondent in an interview, she added that victims also develop what psychologists call trauma bonding — an emotional attachment to their traffickers.
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Chiamaka explained that this bonding makes it very difficult for the victims to escape as traffickers use threats and promises of a better life to hold them.
“The traffickers normally form emotional ties between them and the victims, making it impossible for them to seek a way of escape. Most times, they show them kindness and rewards — some kind of promises that confuse them emotionally. Before or after they bring the victims to their final destination, they will give them a lot of assurances that after this, they are going to build houses for their parents and take care of their family. This gives them very high hopes and a strong bond with the traffickers, making it impossible for them to escape.
They also make the victims feel they don’t have any other person in that country, and that if they escape, they will be caught, imprisoned, and will never see their families again,” Chiamaka explained.
Speaking further, she said the reintegration process is equally fragile. According to her, while NGOs provide empowerment schemes, life skills training, and counseling, resources are limited.
“Most centers in Nigeria can only provide short-term rehabilitation,” Chiamaka said, noting a lack of qualified trauma therapists.
Chinyere’s case stands as a good example. When she finally returned to Nigeria after losing her baby in Mali, the trauma was still overwhelming, though she briefly underwent tailoring training. With the little sustained support she got, she gradually slipped back into silence.
Community Stigma and Cultural Barriers
Survivors of human trafficking still face rejection even after returning. In many communities, women trafficked for sex work are often labeled as “spoilt” or blamed for their ordeal. This stigma isolates them, pushing some back into risky migration paths.
Experts argue that community acceptance programs involving traditional rulers, religious leaders, and youth groups are very important. “If the community embraces them, healing is possible. If not, depression and even suicide may follow,” Chiamaka warned.
Enugu State: The Local Dimension
Enugu’s geographical and social position has become a fertile ground and trafficking corridor for traffickers. Buses leaving for Lagos, Onitsha, and Port Harcourt are often filled with unsuspecting young people, some of whom are diverted at night into cross-border routes leading to Mali, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire.
Recruiters, who are mostly family members, family friends, or neighbors, lure girls with promises of schooling, jobs abroad, or quick wealth. Meanwhile, many victims who come from rural communities are those struggling with poverty and unemployment.
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Recent NAPTIP data shows that South-East Nigeria records high trafficking cases, with Enugu among the hotspots. Young men are trafficked for forced labor on farms and construction sites, while young women are pushed into sex work in Mali, Burkina Faso, Libya, and other parts of Europe.
Civil society groups like U Child Support Initiative and other NGOs are stepping in with awareness campaigns in schools, churches, and marketplaces, but the demand for urgent intervention outweighs their resources.
The Global Fight and Nigeria’s Response
July 30 marks World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, reminding the world of the need for collective action. Nigeria has made progress through NAPTIP’s collaboration with ECOWAS and Interpol, leading to rescues and awareness campaigns. But shelters remain temporary solutions, and corruption and weak border controls continue to fuel trafficking networks.
The Way Forward
Notably, Enugu and other states across the federation have witnessed countless cases of human trafficking, with increases on a daily basis — like Chinyere’s story and that of thousands like her. Her resilience mirrors both the strength of survivors and the system failures meant to protect them.
Although challenges persist in the country — like corruption, weak border controls, and poverty that continue to fuel trafficking networks — NAPTIP’s partnerships with ECOWAS and Interpol have led to several rescue operations.
Awareness programs in schools and universities are growing, while shelters in Abuja, Lagos, and Enugu provide temporary relief for victims.
Experts call for long-term mental health care, stronger cross-border collaboration, empowerment programs for vulnerable families, and anti-stigma campaigns. Until these measures are firmly in place, girls like Chinyere remain at risk of being lured into the shadows again.