By Mary Agidi

Just a month ago, the Ondo State Police Command shattered a ruthless sex syndicate specializing in recruiting young women and adolescent girls into sex work.

At least 15 young female adults were heroically rescued from the syndicate’s den after being deceived with false job promises. According to the police, one Jayeola Joshua was apprehended in the Alagbaka area of Akure, the state capital, in connection with this vile operation.

The rescued victims, aged 20 to 26, were confined in an apartment in Alagbaka, where they endured relentless exploitation for sex work.

This shocking incident is just one of many highlighting the alarming surge in sexual exploitation of Nigerian girls. A thorough investigation into this horrific trend, conducted a few months ago by The Hope and other media outlets, exposes a deeply entrenched crisis poisoning Nigeria’s social fabric: the widespread coercion and abuse of girls in sex work for profit. The manipulation of teenage girls into sexual activities now extends far beyond physical encounters—we must act now.

In a groundbreaking investigation in Akure and Ibadan titled “Apps, Pimps and Algorithms: How Technology is Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Sex Trade,” it was uncovered how teenage girls are tricked into sharing nude videos on a WhatsApp group deceptively labeled “Match-making,” only for it to serve pornographic ends. This demands immediate outrage and reform.

This devastating crisis emerged as a public outrage a few years ago, yet it only intensifies today because no decisive actions have been taken to eradicate it and protect our girls from sex trade and exploitation. For the past five years, adolescent girls have boldly paraded public spaces and entertainment venues across Akure—especially in Alagbaka—for transactional sex, with zero intervention from stakeholders.

It’s time to salvage this—investigations show that while some enter willingly due to family breakdowns and survival desperation, many are preyed upon by exploitative guardians and fraudulent recruiters. We cannot stand by any longer.

The escalating exposure of teenage girls to sexual exploitation is utterly alarming, threatening the very foundation of our future mothers and wives. Beyond economic abuse, countless girls—including infants as young as five—are suffering defilement at the hands of relatives and strangers.

Rarely does a month pass without a heart-wrenching report of a violated girl. Our female youth are tragically ensnared in society’s darkest evils.

Consider ritual killings: girls’ private parts are prime targets. Too many are discovered lifeless, organs harvested. Of every 10 missing persons, seven are girls, often found mutilated. Girls are fast becoming an endangered species in our era—demanding urgent, unified protection from all stakeholders now.

As highlighted, rampant poverty across the nation forces families to abandon their children, leaving them exposed to predators.

Child labor, like street hawking by girls as young as five, fuels this nightmare. The weak enforcement of the Child Rights Act in Nigerian states perpetuates this girl exploitation. The Act mandates no child under 18 engage in hard labor, including hawking, and requires safeguards against sexual abuse—yet we fail to uphold it.

Tragically, underage children still roam cities hawking goods, venturing far where parents can’t watch.

This creates prime opportunities for pedophiles to strike, leading girls to spiral into sex work or fall into traffickers’ traps. We must close this gap immediately.

The Urgent Need for Dedicated Rehabilitation Centers
In Lagos and a handful of states, rehabilitation centers offer lifelines where exploited adolescent victims can seek refuge and support.

In an interview with this writer, Mr. Koya Damilola, Coordinator of Hello Lagos—a youth-friendly clinic and young moms center in Alimosho, Lagos—explained that this government initiative fiercely protects adolescent girls aged 10 to 19 who are exploitation survivors, pregnant, or homeless.

He stressed its creation stemmed from the urgent sexual and reproductive needs of youth, providing a confidential haven to discuss experiences and challenges with health experts. The center empowers them through school enrollment or skill-building programs—proving change is possible.

He pinpointed abuse, eroding family values, obsession with fast money over hard work, caregiver neglect, and emotional trauma as key drivers pushing adolescent girls into sex trade and exploitation. We must confront these head-on.

To fiercely safeguard our girls, he urges integrating adolescents and youth into policy creation, execution, and evaluation.
He advocates for inspiring mentorship—every individual mentoring nearby girls—plus empowerment initiatives and judgment-free safe spaces for help, free from stigma.

Crucially, domesticate and rigorously enforce the Child Rights Act to shield girls, particularly minors, from abusers. Parents, step up: vigilantly oversee your daughters’ online activities to block digital sex lures and meet their essential needs. Together, we can end this—act today.