A family in Benue State has shared a troubling account of how a young health college graduate was allegedly trafficked to Mali and forced into prostitution, only to be rescued after her relatives sold property to pay for her release.
According to a message circulated on social media by a relative who requested anonymity, Origbo Doose Jennifer was pressured by her mother to leave home for Lagos in search of work that would help support the family, despite the young woman’s objections. Once in Lagos, a man identified as Orwase Paul Nater, also known as Don Polo and said to be from Kwande Local Government Area, allegedly deceived her with promises of a well-paying job at a major hospital in Mali.
She was then sent to a woman named Mrs Dorcas Mkpegi in Mali. The relative claims Jennifer was forced into commercial sex work, required to sleep with at least 20 men daily or face starvation. She eventually managed to obtain a phone and contact her father, who had not known she had been taken to Mali.
When the father reached Mrs Mkpegi, he was told the young woman had been “sold” for ₦2.5 million. With no other option, he sold his only house in Gboko and sent the full amount plus an additional ₦500,000 for transport. Jennifer reportedly arrived back in Lagos the night before the message was shared.
The relative blamed parental pressure and the pursuit of quick money for pushing young people into vulnerable situations that traffickers exploit. The account ends with a warning to parents against forcing children to travel in search of work simply to support the household.
The claims remain unverified by independent authorities at the time of writing.
