A Nigerian woman who survived human trafficking has recounted her journey into sexual exploitation in Europe, describing how she was moved from Nigeria to Italy and subjected to coercion, ritual oaths and forced prostitution.
Prime 9ja Online reports that the woman, identified as Iziegbe Ogbeide, shared details of her experience in a recorded testimony in which she narrated how traffickers targeted young girls and used intimidation and spiritual threats to control them.
According to her account, the process began after she was taken abroad under false pretenses by a woman who arranged her travel. Upon arrival in Italy, she said the trafficker questioned her about her travel history and instructed her to claim she had previously travelled internationally.
Recalling the moment, she said: “The woman wey traffic me go Italy for ashawo. When I reach there, she carry me sit down. I come name the country where I don go. She say I don travel before.”
She explained that she had followed instructions given by the trafficker despite being very young at the time. “Mind you, I was a ****** child. This is pikin wey never turn 20 years old,” she said.
Ogbeide said her journey to Europe did not take a direct route. According to her, the flight that left Nigeria first landed in France, where arrangements were made for her onward travel to Italy.
“The flight wey carry me from Nigeria drop me for France. As I reach France, you know, them get connection, she con tell one person, na man naim be, buy me ticket from errrm France to Italy.” she said.
She added that she was instructed to quietly follow whoever called her name after landing at the airport.
“She come give me instruction; if I come down from flight make I just they walk straight. I go hear my name. Once I hear my name, make I sofri look the person, then follow the person. I did exactly wetin she tell me make I do.”
After reaching the house where she was taken, she said the trafficker’s husband told her she had successfully obeyed the instructions given to her.
“As I reach house, naim she say the way I take follow instruction, na her husband come carry me, her husband say, me follow instruction very well. E be like say I don first travel. No mistake was made. I just followed the exact... did you wanted me to fail, inside my mind I was shocked like, excuse me?”
Ogbeide also described being subjected to ritual practices intended to enforce compliance. According to her testimony, the trafficker collected parts of her body, including hair and nails, which she said would be used for spiritual oaths.
“She carry me sit down. She carry the hair wey dey my toto, carry the hair from my armpits, carry the hair from my head, carry my fingernails, carry my toenails. Yes, and kept it.”
She said such practices were linked to threats meant to prevent victims from escaping or refusing to pay the debts imposed on them.
“I don first swear juju for Nigeria. This one wey I dey tell you now. I don chop fowl liver for Nigeria because dem go use you to swear juju,” she said, adding that traffickers warned that severe consequences would follow if victims attempted to flee.
Ogbeide said traffickers often targeted minors because younger girls were considered easier to control.
“They like to carry children. I know many girls wey dey reduce their age just for madam to carry them,” she said.
She explained that many girls altered their ages in order to be accepted by traffickers who preferred teenagers. According to her, those above their early twenties were often rejected.
“Anything make you don dey 25 years old, them nor dey carry. Anything make you dey 23 years old, dem nor dey carry. 15, if you cross 20, dem nor dey carry.”
Ogbeide said several victims arriving in Europe were extremely young and inexperienced.
“These are girls wey come, men disvirgin them. Customer disvirgin many. Shook prick for their toto. Blood, you go see blood for road. The girl go come laidis, dey cry. So you never f*** before. She go say no.”
She also described the working conditions many women endured while being forced into prostitution.
“When we dey period we dey carry prick. Yes! There is no I am on my period. No! This one, you go to work, nor be when you go dey shakara for your boyfriend,” she said, describing how some women were compelled to continue working despite menstruation.
According to her account, victims were sometimes required to see dozens of clients daily.
“And sometimes you carry 20 to 30 prick a day. Or more. Or less, depending. This is what girls, women in Europe went through.”
Ogbeide further claimed that trafficking networks continued to recruit young girls from Nigeria and move them to countries in Europe and the Middle East.
“I am not surprised. I say I know person. We don go Qatar now abi Qatar yeah. She don dey traffic girls from Edo State dey carry go Qatar, dey go dey do ashawo,” she said, referring to Qatar.
She urged victims currently trapped in trafficking situations to seek help from authorities.
“The ones wey dey Qatar, the ones wey dey Dubai, the ones wey dey Kuwait, any country where dem carry you go for prostitution, report them to the police. Go straight to police if dem like make dem deport you come house...”
Ogbeide argued that returning home would be safer than remaining under the control of traffickers.
“...you are better off.” she said.
She also warned that trafficking networks continued to operate despite past efforts by traditional authorities and law enforcement to curb the practice.
“If una no stop human trafficking, you people are still doing it. Oba of Benin swear put. You people are still from back. You are still trafficking.”
Iziegbe "Izzy" Ogbeide is a Nigerian content creator and social media influencer, primarily known for sharing her traumatic experience as a survivor of human trafficking in Italy. She uses her platform to speak out against trafficking syndicates and criticise institutions that she claims failed to protect vulnerable victims.