Adeola Omotoso, daughter of veteran Nigerian actress Jumoke George, has shared the traumatic details of her four-year ordeal in Mali after being trafficked under false pretenses.
Last week, George revealed during an interview with fellow actress Biola Bayo that her 41-year-old daughter had been missing for four years. In a positive turn of events, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), confirmed on Monday that Adeola had been found and safely returned to Nigeria.
According to Dabiri-Erewa, Adeola was trafficked to Mali by individuals who lured her with promises of job opportunities.
Speaking with Biola Bayo, Adeola recounted how her nightmare began after she met a woman who promised to connect her with a pharmacy job in Mali. Believing it was a chance for a better life, she left Nigeria without informing her family and travelled by road through Cotonou, Togo, Ghana, and several other countries before arriving in Bamako, the capital of Mali.
Upon arrival, the situation took a dark turn.
“When I got to the address I was given, the woman I met said she was my ‘madam’ and had bought me from my sister. She told me I would have to work as a prostitute to repay a debt of 1.5 million CFA francs,” Adeola said.
Devastated and confused, Adeola refused. As punishment, her phone and travel documents were confiscated, leaving her helpless and isolated.
“I begged her to let me work in another job to pay her, but she insisted on prostitution. She took me to a brothel, but I knew I couldn’t survive there,” she recalled.
Adeola’s luck changed when she met a kind-hearted man who listened to her story and helped her find work with a food vendor in a different area.
“While working as a food seller, I heard terrible stories of Nigerians who had died from the harsh realities of sex work. I wanted to save enough money to return home, but I was also too ashamed to contact my mother or children. I felt like a failure,” she said emotionally.
She expressed deep gratitude for surviving the ordeal, reflecting on the spiritual strength she believes helped her endure.
“I don’t know how good my mother is before God, but He saved me from the evil waiting for me in Mali.”
Adeola’s story highlights the dangers of human trafficking and the need for increased awareness and support for victims seeking help abroad.
