Nigeria’s police say they have rescued a 21-year-old Nigerian woman allegedly trafficked to Mali for forced prostitution, arresting three suspected members of an international trafficking network. Reports describe an intelligence-led operation carried out by the Special Tactical Squad of the Force Intelligence Department, following a complaint after the woman’s disappearance.
Across outlets, the case is framed around how the victim was allegedly deceived with promises of lucrative employment abroad, then moved through Nigeria and across borders before being transported to Mali. Police say the woman’s communications were cut off after her phone and travel documents were confiscated, and that she was allegedly handed over to other individuals before being sold, with one report giving a figure of 420,000 CFA francs (about N770,000). The alleged abuse includes coercion and physical assault after she reportedly refused to engage in prostitution.
Vanguard, Daily Post Nigeria, and Nigerian Eye all emphasise the rescue and arrests, though Nigerian Eye provides the most operational detail, including suspect names and the alleged route via Lagos and the Benin Republic.
