The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) announced the rescue of 13 Nigerian girls trafficked to Ghana.
This raises the total number of trafficked Nigerians saved in Ghana to 163 over the past five months.
A statement from Abdur-Rahman Balogun, NiDCOM’s Director of Media, Public Relations, and Protocols, revealed that the girls, aged 19 to 30, were brought back to Nigeria over the weekend. The operation was a collaborative effort involving the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Police, the Rescue Live Foundation International, NIDO Ghana, and NiDCOM.
The victims, from Ebonyi, Benue, Kaduna, and Rivers states, were reportedly lured to Ghana with false promises of employment. Upon arrival, they were forced into exploitative situations and bound by an oath of secrecy while their traffickers profited from the act.
NiDCOM’s representative, Mr. Akinboye Akinsola, accompanied the girls back to Nigeria and handed them over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for rehabilitation and reintegration.
NiDCOM Chairperson Abike Dabiri-Erewa expressed gratitude to First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu and Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru for their roles in facilitating the girls’ return. She commended the Ghanaian authorities and Rescue Live Foundation International for their efforts in sheltering the victims and pursuing justice against the traffickers.
Governor Nwifuru’s Senior Special Assistant, Mr. Valentine Okike Uzo, affirmed the state’s commitment to rehabilitating its citizens who were rescued. This operation aligns with Nigeria’s continued efforts to combat human trafficking under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
