By David Arome
“He Pointed a Gun at Me Then Raped Me”: The Continued Endangerment of Female Job Seekers in Nigeria
Nobody was as excited as 26-year-old Enoche Ameh [real name withheld] in November 2024; she had just graduated from the College of Health Technology in Minna, Niger State, as a pharmacy technologist, a feat which brought her closer to her lifelong dream of working in one of the big pharmacy store outlets in Abuja.
Enoche did not have the finances to pull off a move to Abuja, but she knew of a female close family friend living there, so she arranged to temporarily stay with them.
But three months after her big move to Abuja, none of her efforts to get a job had paid off. None of the big pharmacy stores and shopping malls had vacant space. It felt like everything was against her. Then one day, she felt like luck had smiled on her. One day, while she returned from her daily job hunt, she boarded a coastal bus where she met passengers discussing the state of unemployment in the country. Being unemployed herself, she joined the conversation to express her frustration. Not long after, a man seated close to her engaged her in a direct conversation.
“Are you looking for a job?” he asked. When Enoche said yes, the man asked about her qualifications and the organisation she would like to work for. Enoche replied with excitement, H-Medix pharmacy store in town. The man shared his phone number with her and asked that she reach out later.
Enoche was happy with the belief that the man was a godsend in helping her fulfil her lifelong dream. “I thought he was helping me,” Enoche said, remembering their first encounter.
Perpetrator Hiding in Disguise
When the man called the next day to check on her, Enoche was relieved he had not forgotten her. She was even happier when he asked her to meet him with photocopies of her CV and other credentials at Abacha Road junction in Maraba, a famous bustling town in Nasarawa State, bordering Abuja.
Reaching the junction, the man took her to the hotel bar at the Royal Dream Hotel, and he bought drinks for both. In the course of the conversation, the man got a call and asked Enoche to wait for him to quickly reach town.
An hour later, he called back to check on her and asked that she wait in the hotel room. “He said that he had spoken with the hotel manager to allow her to stay in his space in the hotel,” Enoche said.
Enoche agreed and went to the hotel room and, after a while, fell asleep. In her deep sleep, she heard a knock on the door. She asked, and it was the man; Enoche quickly opened the door. “I didn’t think danger could come dressed in kindness,” Edoche narrated in tears.
Immediately, the man dropped his bag, brought out a pistol gun, and walked slowly towards her. “He threatened to kill me if I screamed for help. Pointed the gun right at my face and then raped her.” Enoche froze in fear.
When it ended, Enoche was dazed. The man led her out of the room to his car and drove out of the hotel
By this time, it was already midnight; anything could happen. Enoche was filled with fear as she wondered what he’d do next.
He drove for a while, then dropped her by the roadside at Karu junction and sped off.
By this time, it was already midnight. This meant activities had wound down. But Karu junction is situated in the Abuja-Keffi corridor, so a handful of people still shuffled by. They heard Enoche’s cries for help and they went closer to ask her what had happened. She narrated her ordeal, and one of them assisted her with transportation fare, with which she went back home.
Enoche is not the only one.
The State of Unemployment in Nigeria
Over 60% of the Nigerian population are young people below the age of 30. This important demographic is challenged with widespread unemployment.
Although available data showed a decline in unemployment among females from 6.2% in the first quarter to 5.1% in the second quarter of 2024, the opposite depicts the reality, as more female job seekers are found on the streets.
Gender-based violence perpetrators leverage this pitfall, hiding in the disguise of help in perpetrating sexual assaults, especially with young female job seekers.
Reported Cases of Sexual Assaults on Job Seekers
The National Human Rights Commission, in its official February Dashboard presentation, disclosed a drastic rise in reported rape cases from 51 in January to 341 in February 2025, nearly 6‑fold. While this data is not limited to job‑related incidents, it signals a disturbing trend of the menace. “For the first time, we are reporting an increase in rape. But between January and February, we have seen an upsurge in the reports that we did,” Hilary Ogbonna, special adviser to the commission, said.
Al Jazeera in November 2022 reports multiple incidents where job seekers, mostly young women, were lured to fake job interviews, then drugged, raped, and murdered.
In an investigative study conducted in Ibadan in 2024 among 35 victims of advertised job scams, the report detailed their lived experiences, linking false job offers not only to financial extortion and exploitation but also to harm, coercion, sexual harassment, and even rape.
Healing
Once home, she narrated everything to her friend and housemate.
“My friend felt so sad about what happened to me. She encouraged me to be strong, and later took me to Maraba Primary Healthcare centre for treatment.” Enoche said.
At the clinic, the nurse received her with empathy and compassion, guiding her gently through the necessary medical care.
She was given treatment to prevent possible infections, offered emergency contraception, and counselled on the importance of ongoing medical follow-up.
“Beyond the physical care, the nurse reassured me that what happened to me was not my fault. She reminded me that I still had dignity, strength, and a voice.” Enoche explains.
Justice is Not Always Attainable
Though she was shaken by what had happened and yearned for justice, Enoche could not bring herself to initiate the process because she was afraid of all that could go wrong.
“I could not seek justice because I was afraid of future attacks from the perpetrator and of being stigmatised by people who got to know I was once a rape victim.” Enoche said. Also, she did not know the reporting mechanism in place for getting justice.
A study conducted among 42 women reveals that fear and stigma are the main causes; survivors stay away from reporting. It’s not uncommon for victims of rape to keep the incident away from authorities or from people who could help because they’re scared of stigmatisation. The culture of silence does more harm to victims as their pain deepens, their voices are unheard, and they are denied the care and justice they deserve.
Scammers Are Everywhere, NAPTIP Warns Job Seekers
Speaking on how rampant cases like Enoche’s are, Mrs Rebecca Aderonke Enwusoyele, the Director of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Department at the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), described the problem as “everywhere”. According to her, “There are so many fraudulent job offers, and many of them are even online.”
Aderonke explained that NAPTIP is tackling the issue through what she called the agency’s five strategic pillars: partnership, policy, protection, prevention, and prosecution, emphasising that sensitisation is the main thing that we are doing.
“We go to markets, schools, and area councils; we gather people to talk. We go on the radio and everywhere warning people against trafficking and fake job offers,” she said.
Aderonke noted that NAPTIP works closely with local and international partners, NGOs, CSOs, different agencies, and service providers, including health institutions and shelters, to protect and rehabilitate victims.
Explaining further, she said, “We have a closed shelter where victims are counselled, rehabilitated, and even trained in skills like hairdressing. It’s a comfortable home, with boys’ and girls’ sides, where we homeschool and empower victims before reintegration.” For those assaulted, “we take their statement, provide medical care, and work with the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) linked to Bwari General hospital for examination.”
When asked for safety tips for job seekers, Aderonke urged the public to be extremely cautious. “These days, nobody can be trusted, even within your house. People should not be desperate because a lot of evil is out there. They should be aware, sensitive, and alert to the people around them and to whatever kind of offers that come their way. It’s not every offer that is genuine,” she warned.
She cited growing dangers such as fake job offers that lead to sexual abuse, stressing that NAPTIP’s campaigns constantly highlight these threats through posters and community sensitisation. “We used to have materials that say, ‘Don’t fall for fake jobs,’ because that’s how they lure and deceive young girls and women,” she explained.
Aderonke also noted that while “many victims don’t like to come out because of stigmatization and the culture of silence”, NAPTIP has mechanisms to protect their identity and ensure justice. “All victims in such situations must be protected, their identity, image, and everything about them,” Aderonke emphasised.
Support to Protect Survival
Sexual gender-based violence (SGBV) remains a form of human rights violation and discrimination against women and girls in society that is grossly underreported. SGBV survivors undergo pain and trauma that throws them off balance and causes instability.
Amina Jibril, a human rights advocate in Minna, emphasises the role of the legal system in breaking the chain of sexual assaults in providing justice to survivors.
“While in pursuit of justice, it is important to address the psychological and emotional trauma of survivors, just to stabilise them,” Amina said.
“In addition, survivors should be offered extra support and mentorship for healing and rebuilding their lives,” Amina noted.
“The support of my friend and the nurse keeps me hopeful that my future is not defined by yesterday’s pain,” Enoche said.
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