Blind After Trafficking: Edo Rescues Abused Victims from Burkina Faso
Korede Abdullah 
BENIN CITY, Nigeria – The Edo State Government has rescued three trafficked indigenes from Burkina Faso, including a young woman who lost her sight after enduring severe abuse, officials said Tuesday.
The Director-General of the Edo State Migration Agency, Lucky Agazuma, on Tuesday said the victims were repatriated following an emergency intervention triggered by Nigeria’s ambassador to Burkina Faso, Muhammad Danladi.
Agazuma described the rescue as “both a relief and a tragedy,” revealing that one victim was lured abroad under false pretences and detained upon arrival, while two others were trafficked with promises of employment but forced into prostitution.
“When they resisted, they were brutalised,” he said. “One of them was beaten to the point of losing her sight.”
The visually impaired victim has been taken for urgent medical care, while authorities continue efforts to locate her family in Uselu, Edo State.
The victims—identified as Precious, Peace and Evans—are currently receiving rehabilitation support. Officials confirmed that one suspect linked to the trafficking network has been arrested, with investigations ongoing.
The case underscores the persistent risks of human trafficking in Nigeria, particularly among young women seeking economic opportunities abroad.
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