In a heartbreaking revelation, Adeola Omotoso, daughter of veteran Nollywood actress Jumoke George, has opened up about her traumatic ordeal after being trafficked to Mali and sold into prostitution under false pretenses.
Adeola recounted the shocking events in an emotional interview, where she detailed how she was deceived by someone who presented a seemingly legitimate job opportunity abroad. She was told she would be working at a pharmacy in Mali, an offer that seemed promising at the time.
“I met someone who introduced the idea of travelling to Mali,” she explained. “She claimed to know a woman who owned a pharmacy there and said I could go to help manage the business.”
Without informing her family of her plans, Adeola embarked on a journey that would change her life. She traveled for four days by road, passing through Cotonou, Togo, and Ghana before finally arriving in Bamako, the capital of Mali.
Upon her arrival, she reached out to the contact she was given. What she encountered next was terrifying. “When I got to Bamako in Mali, I called the contact. When I arrived at her house, she told me she was my madam and that she had bought me from my sister. She said I owed her 1.5 million CFA francs and had to work it off through prostitution,” she revealed.
Adeola was devastated and refused to comply, insisting she would rather die than become a prostitute. Her refusal led to her phone and travel documents being seized, leaving her stranded and vulnerable.
“I was confused and asked if I was really in the right place. The woman told me I was there for prostitution. I told her I couldn’t do it and that I would rather die. She threatened me, but I stood my ground,” Adeola shared.
She was forcibly taken to a brothel, but even there, she resisted. “When we got there, I knew I wouldn’t survive it. I told her I couldn’t do prostitution but was willing to do any other job to repay her. She still took my phone and documents,” she added.
Amidst her ordeal, Adeola found a glimmer of hope in a kind-hearted man to whom she confided. This man helped her escape from captivity and got her a job working as a food vendor in another area.
“While working there, I heard stories and saw fellow Nigerians who died from prostitution. I told myself I needed to raise some money so I could return home. I was ashamed to reach out to my mother and children,” Adeola said.
Her time in Mali stretched over four agonizing years. She lived in fear and uncertainty, contemplating death. “I told my roommate that if I died, she shouldn’t post my photos on social media. I felt like I had nothing to live for.”
Eventually, Adeola was rescued and reunited with her loved ones earlier this week. Her emotional homecoming saw her embraced by her mother, Jumoke George; the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa; and popular actor Adeniyi Johnson.
Looking back at all she endured, Adeola expressed gratitude to God and acknowledged her mother’s prayers. “I don’t know how good my mum is before God, but her prayers saved me from all the evil waiting for me in Mali,” she said t
earfully.