Actress Jumoke George’s trafficked daughter returns to Nigeria after 4 years in Mali

After four harrowing years in Mali, Adeola, the daughter of veteran Nollywood actress Jumoke George, has finally returned home to Nigeria. Her return marks the end of a painful chapter, having been a victim of human trafficking.

The Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, shared the emotional news in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday.

Adeola’s homecoming was met with warmth and support as popular Nollywood stars Biola Adebayo and Adeniyi Johnson stood alongside the NIDCOM boss to receive her.

“Breaking! Adeola, daughter of popular actress, Jumoke George, who cried out that she had not heard from her daughter in four years is back home, from Mali where she was trafficked to. Just received her, with Biola Adebayo who broke the story and Niyi Johnson,” Mrs Dabiri-Erewa wrote.

Jumoke earlier spoke about her missing daughter in an interview with her colleague, Biola, who runs a talk show ‘Talk to B’.

She said that Adeola, her first child, was living with her grandmother in Ibadan and was last seen after informing the family she was travelling to Lagos.

According to Jumoke, Adeola later made contact, asked for forgiveness and explained that she travelled out of the country with friends in search of better opportunities.

In the same interview, Jumoke disclosed that she was battling serious health and financial issues. She said her condition had prevented her from honouring acting jobs, causing her to refund payments and borrow funds for medical treatment. She noted that further medical tests were required, with an estimated cost of N400,000.

The actress further said that any money she earned from occasional jobs was spent on efforts to find her missing daughter.

Biola later revealed that Jumoke George was receiving treatment at a public hospital in Lagos.