A 16-year-old Junior Secondary School (JSS 3) student, identified only as Hannah, has come forward with allegations that she was trafficked to Ghana by a neighbor, Tosin Moses, who promised her a job opportunity abroad. The case emerged after a concerned resident, Taiwo Yisau, was alerted by a local security operative known as Iron Lady in the Adamo area of Ikorodu, Lagos State.
How the ordeal began
According to Yisau, he contacted a tactical police officer named Afolayan in Araro on Sunday, May 31, 2026. Hannah stated that she had been living with her father in the Okonron area of Adamo before being lured by Tosin, whom she considered a familiar neighbor. She alleged that she was taken out of Nigeria in late January 2026 and arrived in Ghana in February, eventually escaping and returning to Nigeria on May 27, 2026.
Promises of employment
Hannah claimed she was initially promised employment abroad without being told the nature of the work or the destination. She traveled through Ogun State and Ibadan before crossing into Ghana by boat. Once there, she discovered she had been taken for exploitation and was prevented from contacting her family.
She recounted: "I was living with my dad and used to visit Aunty Tosin’s house to play. She asked if I wanted to travel abroad and promised a good salary, but she did not tell me the nature of the job or the country. She told me not to inform anyone, although her mother later spoke to my dad about it. My dad warned her against taking me, but weeks later, I left with her when my dad stepped out."
Hannah added that she wore her school uniform to avoid suspicion. They left Tosin's house and went to a woman's residence in Ogijo, Ogun State, then traveled to Ibadan before continuing by boat to Ghana. She initially thought she would sell food items due to the large quantity of goods Tosin carried.
Life in Ghana
Upon arrival in Ghana on a Friday, Tosin informed Hannah about the work she would be doing. Hannah said: "I started crying, but she told me there was nothing I could do and that I had to accept it. I slept with between 50 and 100 men daily."
Police involvement
Yisau, along with police officers, visited the suspects' residence to make arrests but found only the suspect’s mother and a 12-year-old girl, Zainab, who was allegedly waiting to be taken to Ghana. The Gender Unit of the Lagos State Police Command has stated it will follow up on the case. The Officer in Charge of the Gender Unit, Oluwatoyin Kazeem, confirmed this in a telephone conversation with The Guardian.
