A 21-year-old Edo sex worker in Dubai, whose identity is being withheld for security reasons, has raised the alarm over a deadly voodoo group threatening her life if she fails to pay her trafficker the sum of N5m before the end of 2023.
The victim was trafficked to Dubai for sexual exploitation and arrived in the country in October 2021. Trouble started when her “madam” Margaret Cole, a resident of Manchester, insisted that she must pay the balance of N1.8 million, having already paid N3.2 million of the charged N5m.
On arrival in Dubai, her co-sex workers told her that the N5m demanded by her trafficker was outrageous, and that trafficked girls often pay between N2m and N3m, leading to a disagreement between her and Margaret Cole. The victim’s refusal to pay prompted her trafficker to summon her before a voodoo group called ‘Ayelala’, which subsequently wrote a letter to her parents in Benin, warning them of impending danger if she refused to pay.
The victim’s sister, Abiodun Ighodalo, who delivered the summon letter, has been arrested by the Ekiadolor Police Station near Benin, but instead of taking action, the police are asking the victim to settle with her trafficker. The victim has paid N3.2m into Margaret Cole’s Polaris Bank account with account number 1041199420, and this morning she received a voice note insisting that she must pay or face severe consequences.
The accused, Margaret Cole, who is resident in London, denied having trafficked the victim or anyone for sexual exploitation, stating that the issue is currently under investigation at the Ekiadolor police station in Benin. However, the victim alleges that her refusal to pay has led to threats of violence from a voodoo group, causing her to fear for her life.
The use of voodoo threats to coerce sex workers into paying their traffickers is a common practice in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. It is a heinous crime that exploits vulnerable women and girls and violates their human rights. Governments and law enforcement agencies need to do more to combat this practice and bring the perpetrators to justice.
It is important to note that sex work is a complex issue that requires a comprehensive approach. Governments need to provide better economic opportunities for women and girls to reduce their vulnerability to trafficking and sexual exploitation. Furthermore, there is a need for more awareness campaigns to educate women and girls about the dangers of trafficking and sexual exploitation, and to provide them with the necessary support and resources to escape suc.h situations
