Reported by: L. Imafidon | Edited by: Henry Owen
When Amina left her small community in Plateau state two years ago, she carried little more than a small travel bag, a heart full of hope, and a promise. Her mother had fallen ill, her younger siblings were out of school, and she believed that traveling abroad for work was the only way to lift her family out of poverty.
“I didn’t want to leave home,” Amina said softly, her hands clasped tightly as if holding onto invisible strength. “But every night I watched my mother cry because we had nothing to eat. I told myself I had to do something.”
A family friend introduced her to a woman who claimed she could arrange a good job for her in Mali — a housekeeping position with good pay. To a struggling young woman desperate to help her loved ones, it sounded like a blessing. “She said I wouldn’t have to pay anything,” Amina recalled. “She told me to trust her, that I would be able to send money home within months.”
But when Amina arrived in Bamako, reality struck like lightning. Her passport was taken, and the “agent” who had promised her a decent job became her captor. “They told me I owed them for the travel and food,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “They said I had to work to repay it — and the work was prostitution.”
For months, Amina lived in fear. Every day felt like another wound to her spirit. “The first night, I cried until my eyes swelled,” she said. “I told them I couldn’t do it, but they laughed. They said I belonged to them now. I thought about my mother every day — how she would feel if she knew where I was. I felt dead inside.”
Amina’s story echoes the painful experiences of hundreds of young Nigerian women lured abroad by false promises. Many, like her, are deceived by traffickers who exploit their hunger for opportunity and their love for family. Human rights experts say these women are not just victims of human trafficking but also of a system that has failed to protect its most vulnerable citizens.
According to activist and social worker Kemi Onasanya, Amina’s story reflects a wider social tragedy. “Most of these young women are not looking for luxury,” she explained. “They’re trying to survive. Poverty, lack of education, and family pressure make them easy targets. They are not criminals or immoral; they are desperate souls searching for dignity.”
After months of suffering, Amina’s rescue came when a fellow Nigerian woman she met secretly reached out to a local group working with the International Organization for Migration. In early 2024, she was brought back to Nigeria through a rescue program.
“When I stepped off the bus and saw my mother, I fell to the ground,” she said, tears rolling freely. “I couldn’t look her in the eyes. I felt like I had failed her. But she held me and said, ‘My daughter, you are alive — that’s what matters.’ That day, I began to heal.”
Now back in Nigeria, Amina is slowly rebuilding her life. She volunteers with a small NGO that educates young girls about the dangers of irregular migration and human trafficking. She uses her voice, once silenced by fear, to warn others. “Whenever I talk to young girls, I tell them the truth,” she said. “Not every opportunity is real. Some dreams can destroy you. If I had known, I would have stayed and found another way.”
Experts say the growing cases of human trafficking show that Nigeria must do more to create safe and fair opportunities at home. Until the roots of poverty and gender inequality are addressed, the cycle will continue — and more Amina’s will fall into the same trap.
Amina’s story is one of heartbreak, but also of courage. She turned her pain into purpose, and her survival is a reminder that hope can be reborn even in the darkest places.
“When the temptation comes to take that easy road,” she said quietly, “remember that not every open door leads to freedom. Some lead to chains. Helping your family should never cost you your life.”
Her words lingered long after the interview ended — a powerful reminder that every statistic about trafficking hides a real human being, with dreams, love, and the simple wish to make life better for those they care about.
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