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Nigerian Girls Forced into Prostitution in Abidjan Seeks Help To Return Home

Published

10 years ago

May 12, 2014

Seven Nigerian girls in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire have asked the embassy of Nigeria to assist their return to their families.
The girls were interviewed by NAN at the Nigerian embassy premises this Monday and they have revealed that three persons brought them from Nigeria to Cote d’Ivoire named Rose, Dele and Cynthia.
As it is reported, the girls were accommodated in the brothel in Sikensi, on the outskirts of Abidjan and they were forced to be sex-workers there.
One of the girls, 18-year-old Blessing Elohor from Delta, said that the leaders of Nigerian community saved them from the brothel. She said that she was shown a photo of a man, a ‘white man’, who would be her employer in a restaurant in Abidjan and she would be working there as a waitress.
“I was surprised when they showed me a room and gave me condoms. They refused us making calls or even having discussions with people,” Blessing said.
Another girl, 17-year old Tracy Ekuagbe, said that she was promised a job in Germany, and she said that what she experienced in Abidjan was a clear example of slavery and intimidation.
She said that she felt something was not right when instead of a plane they were boarded on a bus.
“They always had stories to tell us until we got to Abidjan and was taken to a brothel where I ended up staying for three months,” Tracy said.
Other girls told their names were Joy Omojevwe, Esther John, Esumei Blessing, Daivy John and Tessy Obawangi.
Collins Chiaha, the Secretary-General of Nigerian Community in Cote d’Ivoire, told NAN that local community would give all the support required to take care of the horror or Nigerians trafficking.
According to him, the issue of human trafficking was embarrassing to Nigeria.
He said that “I urge government to evolve ways of tightening border security to ensure that under-aged girls are no longer forced out of their homes into foreign lands.”