Agbabiaka Bola, a Nigerian smuggled into Egypt by human traffickers in 2023, has been rescued by the Embassy of Nigeria in Cairo.
Her return was facilitated by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) after HumAngle’s investigation into how traffickers deceived her and two others into modern slavery in Egypt.
The report published in March captured the plights of helpless Nigerians trafficked with a tourist visa and forced to work as housemaids under deplorable conditions for a stipend not enough to feed them.
“Coming to Egypt was the greatest mistake I’ve ever made in my life. Even when I am sick, I still have to work in a bid not to elongate the months I will have to spend to return my sponsor’s money. This place is hell on earth,” Bola was quoted as saying in an investigative piece published by HumAngle on March 8.
On March 14, HumAngle wrote to NAPTIP, explaining the findings of our report and called the attention of the agency to the neglect of Nigerians in Cairo. A few days later, officials of the agency reached out to us for details of the victims, and they have since embarked on a rescue mission for the helpless Nigerians.
“I was contacted by the Nigerian Embassy in Cairo, and I went there to explain the situation to the Controller, who told me that my case was referred to them by NAPTIP,” Bola told HumAngle. “I was later referred to the representative of IOM. They got my seized passport from my sponsor, gave me a credit/gift card to feed myself for three months before I was eventually brought back to Nigeria on Aug. 29.”
She added that IOM also gave her more money when she arrived home to take care of her immediate needs.
Speaking further, she said, “I am very grateful to HumAngle, NAPTIP, and IOM. I learned a lot of lessons because I had passed through a lot of difficulties in Egypt. My mother and children were really happy to have me back home. I am ready to settle in Nigeria to continue my tailoring job. I am not going anywhere again in my life.”
Agbabiaka Mary, a 16-year-old daughter of the survivor, also said she’s happy to have her mother back to Nigeria safely.
“I really missed my mother when she was away because she has always been my gist partner. It was really difficult to cope as a young lady here, coupled with the difficulties she also experienced in Egypt. It was a tough experience for me here in Nigeria. But now that she’s back, we’ve agreed that she will remain in Nigeria and start from scratch. I am hopeful that we will succeed together in Nigeria.”
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