Police say Nigerian trafficking survivor rescued from Mali; three suspects arrested
Police have announced the rescue of a 21-year-old Nigerian woman allegedly trafficked to Mali for sexual exploitation and the arrest of three suspected members of a trafficking network.
The announcement was made at a briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, November 3, according to Tribune and The Sun.
Police described an investigation conducted between October 1 and 27, 2026. The precise date of the woman’s recovery was not established in the accounts reviewed.
Overseas employment promise under investigation
According to the police account, the woman was recruited with promises of lucrative employment abroad before being moved through Lagos and the Republic of Benin to Mali.
Police alleged that her phone and travel documents were confiscated, cutting off contact with her family, and that she was subsequently subjected to sexual exploitation.
A report from her sister prompted the investigation, according to the briefing. Police said information gathered during the operation helped officers locate and rescue her.
Police report three other rescues
The operation also led to the rescue of three other women who were reunited with their families, police said.
Police described those arrested as suspects. IDNN has not independently confirmed whether charges have been filed.
Police relay survivor’s account of other women
Police said the survivor reported that approximately 42 other Nigerian women were being held in a camp within a remote gold-mining settlement in Mali.
That figure and the women’s present circumstances have not been independently verified by IDNN. Police said investigations and efforts to rescue additional victims were continuing.
IDNN is withholding survivor names. This report draws on published accounts of the police briefing; IDNN has not interviewed the survivors or independently established the principal survivor’s current care and repatriation arrangements.