By Sandra Kenneth
A chilling investigation by Today FM has exposed shocking instances of human trafficking and sexual exploitation targeting young girls, some as young as ten years old. The report highlights how many victims are lured from Rivers State under false pretenses and trafficked abroad, particularly to Ghana, where they are subjected to inhumane treatment.
One survivor, Gift Tamunotonye-Nengiofori, shared her devastating experience with Today FM’s Sandra Kenneth. Gift recounted how she was deceived by a woman she met at Eleme Market, who claimed to offer her a lucrative advertising job promising a monthly salary of ₦250,000. Trusting the woman, Gift was first sent to Lagos, then flown to Ghana under the guise of employment.
Upon arrival, Gift and other girls were stripped of their passports and phones and forced into prostitution. She revealed that she was held captive for three years, during which she was forced to sleep with more than ten men daily, with a target income of 100,000 Ghanaian cedis each day. Gift described the conditions as brutal and inhumane, with frequent physical abuse and sexual violence, often without protection.
Her harrowing account includes a near-death experience when she was injected with unknown substances during a ritualistic attempt to kill her. Fortunately, she was rescued at the last moment by a compassionate man who had a change of heart.
Gift also disclosed that many girls, some as young as ten, are sold into slavery by the traffickers, stripped of their rights, and treated like commodities. Her eventual rescue was facilitated by concerned citizen Jerry Amadi, who learned of her plight through Today FM’s investigation.
Amadi is now calling on government authorities to tighten policies and enforce stricter measures to prosecute traffickers and protect vulnerable Nigerian girls from falling prey to such heinous crimes. When contacted, NAPTIP promised a full-scale investigation into the matter to ensure that perpetrators are prosecuted.
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