Trafficked to Europe, abducted at home, the sad story of Success Joseph’s ordeal of survival
By Ade Elijah. For one Success Joseph, her story is not a palatable one. What began with a promise of education and a better life abroad soon turned into a nightmare of human trafficking, captivity, exploitation, deportation and, ultimately, abduction and sexual violence after her return to Nigeria.
Born on March 27, 2000, in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Benin City, Edo State, South – South Nigeria, Success Joseph lost her father, Joseph, in 2006 and was subsequently raised by her mother, Dolly, and grandmother in their village.
She was forced to discontinue her education at Primary 6 because of severe financial constraints and later learnt hairdressing while also working as a caterer and hairdresser.
Her ordeal began in December 2014 when a woman who had seen her hairdressing skills allegedly approached her with an offer that appeared to provide a pathway to a better future.
The woman promised that Success would have the opportunity to attend school and work in a large salon overseas. Believing the promise, Success left her village in March 2015, unaware of the fate that awaited her.
She was transported by bus across the border into Niger, passing through Niamey and Agadez, before embarking on a brutal journey across the Sahara Desert. The journey eventually took her to Libya, where she passed through transit locations including Qatrun, also known as Gatrone, and Sabha.
According to her account, migrants at the locations were heavily guarded, starved and severely beaten. Success Joseph said captives were also forced to call relatives and demand ransom payments under threats of death. After surviving the ordeal in Libya, she embarked on the dangerous Mediterranean crossing by boat and eventually arrived in Italy in August 2016.
However, her arrival in Europe did not bring the freedom she had expected. She was initially placed in a camp in Milan before being handed over to a trafficker who ordered her into prostitution. Success resisted the demand despite threats to her life.
In 2017, she suffered another setback when a fire broke out at a makeshift settlement where she was staying, destroying her belongings and identification documents. She was later detained by authorities in Bari and eventually deported to Nigeria, arriving in the country on January 19, 2018.
Back in Benin City, Edo State, Success Joseph’s ordeal took another frightening turn. Sometime after her return, armed men reportedly abducted her from her residence on 19th Street and took her to a bush encampment. There, she was subjected to sexual violence by multiple attackers.
Faced with the threat to her life, Success fought back and managed to stab one of her attackers with his own knife, creating an opportunity for her to escape. She was eventually rescued on June 19, 2018.
Even after her rescue, Success Joseph could not return to a normal life, and this is because men who appeared suspicious continued to circle around her house, leaving her afraid of another attack or possible murder. With the fear persisting, she eventually fled Benin City, Edo State for safety.
As of the time of this report, no one knows exactly her whereabouts. While people around her home have expressed fear of another abduction, no one can confirm any incident as of press time.
