Adeola Omotoso, daughter of actress Jumoke George, has opened up about her traumatic experience of being trafficked to Mali and forced into prostitution.
In an interview with actress Biola Adebayo, Adeola recounted how her nightmare began when she accepted an offer to travel to Mali for what she believed was a legitimate job opportunity.
“I met someone who introduced travelling to Mali to me. She said she knows someone who owns a pharmacy and asked if I could travel there to handle the business,” Adeola explained.
“I agreed but didn’t inform anyone at home. We travelled by road for four days through Cotonou, Togo, Ghana, and other countries.”
Upon arriving in Bamako, Mali, the supposed job opportunity turned into a nightmare.
“When I got to Bamako in Mali, I called the contact I was given. When I got to the person’s house, she said she is my madam and that she bought me from my sister. She said I’ll work to pay her 1.5 million CFA francs,” Adeola recalled.
Shocked and terrified, Adeola said she resisted the demand to engage in sex work.
“I told her I can’t do it and would rather die. She threatened me, and I told her she’s free to do whatever she wants,” she said.
Her refusal led to the traffickers seizing her phone and travel documents. She was later taken to a brothel, but with the help of a kind stranger, she managed to escape and found work as a food vendor.
“He helped me in finding a job with a food seller in another location,” she said.
“While working as a food seller there, I heard stories and saw Nigerians who died because of prostitution.”
Despite enduring years of hardship, Adeola said she was determined not to return to Nigeria empty-handed.
“I wanted to raise some money so I could come back home, and I didn’t want to return home empty. I thought about calling my mum and kids, but I couldn’t call because I felt ashamed of myself,” she said.
“I left home since four years and have nothing to show for it. I was suffering but didn’t know what to do. I even told my roommate to not post me on social media if I die.”
Reflecting on her survival, Adeola concluded emotionally: “I don’t know how good my mum is before God that made him save me from all the evil that was about to befall me in Mali.”
Adeola’s mother, Jumoke George, had earlier made a tearful public outcry during an appearance on Biola Adebayo’s “Talk To B” show, where she revealed her daughter had been missing for four years.
The actress also spoke about battling illness and financial hardship, saying she had spent all her income trying to find Adeola.
Following that emotional plea, Adeola was located in Mali and safely returned to Nigeria.
The reunion was facilitated with the help of concerned authorities and well-meaning Nigerians. She was welcomed by NiDCOM boss Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Biola, actor Adeniyi Johnson and officials who helped bring her back.
