Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A 19-year-old Nigerian girl, Ejiro, from Udu Local Government Area in Delta State, has survived a horrific human trafficking ordeal in Ivory Coast that left her permanently mutilated after she refused to be forced into prostitution, with two female suspects now in police custody.
The Delta State Police Command uncovered the disturbing case after the victim's mother reported that her daughter was looking ill upon returning from a visit to her father's house. A medical examination later confirmed the worst: Ejiro's womb had been surgically removed without her consent. Police spokesperson SP Bright Edafe narrated the heartbreaking story, revealing that Ejiro was lured abroad by a female friend of her father under the false promise of a legitimate job opportunity.
Capitalising on the family's economic vulnerability, the suspect, identified as Blessing, approached Ejiro with an offer to help her travel abroad for work. Trusting the woman as a friend of her father, the teenager accepted. However, upon arrival in Ivory Coast, she was shocked to discover that the promised job was prostitution. Ejiro outrightly declined and demanded to be returned to Nigeria. Her captors refused, telling her they had no money for her return trip.
When Ejiro stood her ground and continued to reject the prostitution work, the traffickers escalated their brutality. According to SP Edafe, they gave her a substance to drink, which led to her losing consciousness. She was then taken to a place they called a hospital and injected. When she woke up, she found her stomach plastered, indicating she had undergone a surgical operation. The traffickers' plan was to ensure she could be forced into prostitution after the procedure.
However, complications arose from the surgery as the wound refused to heal properly. When the traffickers noticed that her health was deteriorating, they callously packed Ejiro into a vehicle, transported her to Lagos, Nigeria, and abandoned her. From Lagos, she managed to find her way back to Delta State, where she was eventually reunited with her family, who immediately reported the matter to the police.
Upon receiving the complaint, operatives of the Delta State Police Command swung into action and swiftly arrested two key suspects, Blessing and Esther. In a video released by the police, Blessing confessed to being the one who connected Ejiro to the traffickers, revealing that she was paid N400,000 for her role. Another suspect, Esther, admitted she had been given N150,000 to facilitate the trafficking. Both women are mothers, with one stating she has an 18-year-old daughter. The syndicate reportedly involves a chain of women, including a figure known as 'Iron Man' in Ivory Coast, who is believed to be running a prostitution ring with many other Nigerian girls.
The case has sparked widespread outrage, raising critical questions about the brutal tactics used by trafficking syndicates and the complicity of trusted acquaintances. It also highlights the growing danger of irregular migration driven by economic hardship, where vulnerable young women are often lured by empty promises, only to be subjected to forced labour, sexual exploitation, and organ harvesting.
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