A few days ago, I received a message on WhatsApp from a friend. There was a video he wanted me to look at and do something about. I don’t like it when I am bombarded with dozens of meaningless videos, photos and other visuals on WhatsApp, but I have resigned myself to their inevitability. I watched the video clip, and it was a good thing I was not eating at the time. It put me off food for most of the day, and it also kept me up past my bedtime. I have probably become so familiar with the abuse and degradation of women that it is hard for me to be shocked by what I see or hear. However, the video I watched shocked and shook me. It is heartbreaking that after so many years of campaigning about the dangers of voluntary or involuntary trafficking of young women, we still have thousands of them languishing in awful places at home and abroad, forced to perform unspeakable sex acts.
The person who sent me the video claimed that it was about our girls who are in Libya and have been turned into sex slaves. The video showed a young black woman, with her face visible, so she could be identified by anyone who knows her. She was tied up, spread eagled, and it was not quite clear whether she was consenting to all the terrible things being done to her by the Arab looking man who was violating and whipping her intermittently. The man’s face was not totally visible – no surprise there. It was one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen, and I almost mentally cursed the person who sent it to me. I hardly ever share trivia on social media, and I was certainly not going to continue the circulation of this horrible video. I however did send it to my friend Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Relations. She responded right away and told me she thought the video was a clumsy attempt at pornography. She has received a lot of information about the fate of our young women in countries such as Libya. Since, as is the case with most illegal immigration, the Nigerian authorities in those countries have no record of them, and the host country does not want anything to do with them either, they are in a kind of Twilight Zone. They fall into the hands of underground vermin who use them to traffic drugs, run guns and as sex slaves. When they are no longer useful or commit what would be regarded as serious offences, they are finished off. We keep losing so many young people who slip out of the country and find their way into these lands, never to be seen again. According to Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, all we can do is continue to raise awareness about the dangers of illegal migration, especially for young women.
Full article in 
Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi is a Gender Specialist, Social Entrepreneur and Writer. She is the Founder of Abovewhispers.com, an online community for women. She can be reached at BAF@abovewhispers.com
28 Responses
Commercial Sex Workers.It will definitely take a long while before this thing gets eradicated off the picture anywhere in the world. I advocate that they treat them well, get good health policies for them because we must face it, this is a part of our world
And, the only way to get this off is to get the”customers”’off and we all know that, it will take a while. So adequate treatments should be in place and a good, working anti-trafficking system will be good too.
This sex work thing cannot be taken off the system. Like, what the writer said, some women are involved in this and they aren’t even in the red zone.
Some girls on campuses do this to get themselves sustained because when they go for good jobs, they won’t be given if the back isn’t laid on the ground. This is pathetic.
The situation of the country has made people take drastic measures just to survive. I pray we get a lasting solution to this problem and really, these people shouldn’t be treated with disgust, they are also doing something at least they are better thieves.
I Know girls who are sex workers and have built houses, and bought cars, established their mothers through this work. It can be dehumanizing but we cannot deny the fact that, this work gets most of them good pay than the 9-5 routine.
And the same bosses that won’t give workers good pay, will patronise these ladies and pay them handsomely well. They should be given a good avenue to take good care of themselves especially to prevent sexually transmitted diseases
The morality, opinion and acceptability of prostitution (sex workers) is often if not always a very complex issue to deal with and I think it has been well addressed here. Our government really need to start taking active effort in such trivial matters, a lot of inhuman things are going on behind the scene that need to be curbed
God will punish that man and his household. Can you imagine? In fact, i don’t call those arab african countries, Africans because they don’t call themselves that. I detest them and their racist mindset a lot and the way they treat women is so degrading.
I hope that girl gets saved and healed. Please, she should be brought home and taken good care of. We love you and for all angels out there in the desert where the cannibals live, may you find good rescue.
This is such a deep article.
Try to not forget that the write wasn’t sure if all these had been done out of consent and the girl was getting paid for it… If it was then I guess your curses are subjected yo a lot of other considerations
Another exciting article this week. But sincerely, There is no excuse for sex workers. There is nothing as good as a legit work, be hard working and everything will become okay.
There is no excuse at all. I support that the anti-trafficking agencies we have should step their game.
I remember reading Bernard Shaw’s Mrs Warren Profession, where a woman decidedly chose prostitution as a profession and a very lucrative one at that and it’s brings to fore that a woman has the right to do whatever she wants with her body as long as it is out of consent and she’s getting paid for it. But what happens when this gets out of hand, when the man becomes violent or over demanding. Perhaps anyone going into such business would have been prepared for its consequences and excesses
@fola, o thou righteous man. There is no excuse for sex workers, as if you haven’t slept with ladies, that aren’t your wives before. See you opening your mouth to spill self righteous bull shit.
Are the women sleeping with themselves? Isn’t the men that patronise them? Please, it’s not necessary to comment, you can read and pass.
I hope all our lost angels get hope.
Wow. This is so emotional. Women go through a lot just to survive. I really hope that our nation will stand up and put things in place. Seriously, the situation of the country is so unpalatable and that’s why they run for greener pastures.
Nigeria is making lots of people insane. Really, this should change so everyone will enjoy the bliss of this nation
It’s a sad one really, but there is no excuse for such. The bible says our body is the temple of God . Don’t give your body out and God will provide a way out.
This act should be barnished.
@Domdom
it’s certain that she won’t get paid. Those people don’t pay them, they just humilate them. It’s degrading really, I wish that these girls are found and taken care of and to those who declined coming back,,, I know it’s nothing easy because of a truth there is nothing to return to… But there should be rehabilitation homes for these women especially those who have been rescued
They should be treated and established, and constantly checked upon.
Our government should help us fight against these act. For me am not in support of it at all. Why must you choose sex as a profession? Also our youths needs more awareness concerning these.
I can’t really figure out what the Africans have done wrong that makes us deserve these treatment from these so call Arabians. Better still let us stay back to our country and pray for a better Nigeria.
It is better we don’t stop making awareness.
Can human trafficking ever stop in this cruel world? I sincerely don’t think so. Can the world ever be free from commercial sex workers? Again, i sincerely don’t think so. This has been the case since i have been young, and it is getting worse by the day simply because the leaders don’t care. All i can render is my sincere prayers to those who are forcefully humiliated and harmed in this process. Like the writer pointed out, some ladies actually volunteer out of frustration and possibly bad experiences. I just hope the anti- trafficking law will be enforced soonest.
@legzycool, you are very right sir, ever since I came to this world have been hearing about prostitution and sex trafficking. I even happen to live in an area where they practice it and have their houses around. When they were asked why they do this, you hear them say they must eat and survive one way or the other. See, the situation of the country is not helping matters at all. Man must survive that’s what they will tell you. But it’s not fair the way the people they service now go about it. They humiliate then and make them even suffer more.
@Toluene. Thank you ma.This is just the pathetic situation in the world in general. The less privileged are most times the abused.
@Toluene. I agree with your stance as well ma. Some commercial sex workers were not coerced or forced into it, they willingly gave their selves into it.
@Modupeola, which government want to help fight human trafficking… Since when have we been calling on the government to fight it. All is well ooo. Prostitution is not a profession, it’s a choice while some are just victims. May God help us ijn
What a pathetic story. @michaels, please go live in the galaxy. People like are those who see the real thing, and hide under religious fasade.
It’s a pity that this is the reality of the world we are in. Even outside Nigeria where you’ve got the slumps, girls do this to survive. They have no choice. Some of them are even educated but they have got no open opportunities for themselves at all.
Men, haunt them to lay their backs down before they are sorted out for their daily income. So, what do you want them to do? 95percent of those involved in prostitution were forced into it.
All we can do is make the society better, create more and more jobs and protect the girl child seriously. Create a platform that makes the girl child get good jobs and also that protects their interests where they work.
This will help in tackling this menace
Let us start tackiling this thing from our homes. Teach our boys to respect the body of a woman. That man in that video is a shame to his mother.
let’s teach them to respect women, tell them how they should be treated beyond the body. Because this situation is beyond the girls alone the men are also at fault.
This is very pathetic. Our generation is gradually loosing its respect for women, men who are supposed to pamper ladies are now consciously disregarding them all in the name of sex.
Being a commercial sex worker is a total waste of time, as the outcome is death.
People no longer care about their lives this days, they can do anything to acquire wealth. Prostitute is very rampant in this generation of ours. I wept when I saw the video of a lady with maggot in her virgina. That adage that says “money is the root of all evil” was never meant to those that acquire their with their God’s given ability, but for those who engage in anything that is ungodly.
He who climbs the tree beyond the leaves is inviting an adventure with broken bones. Anyone who wants to be a commercial sex workers should be ready to bear the consequences, this is just too disgusting to me.
If there is a way to sensitize people to stop sharing messages,videos and all kind of horrible contents it would really keep the sanity of many of us