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Ikenna Ngere
Guest
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has confirmed the rescue and repatriation of 13 trafficked Nigerian girls from Ghana, bringing the total number of victims rescued since July 2024 to 163.
In a statement released on Friday by NiDCOM’s spokesperson, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the operation was a result of coordinated efforts involving the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Police, Rescue Live Foundation International, and NIDO Ghana, with support from NiDCOM.
The victims, aged 19 to 30, were reportedly misled into traveling to Ghana with promises of lucrative job opportunities but were instead forced into exploitative conditions. Many were bound by oaths of secrecy as their traffickers profited from their misery.
“The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission alongside other stakeholders have rescued another set of 13 trafficked girls from Ghana, thus bringing the total repatriated back to the country within five months to 163.
“Among the 163 included the 13 girls that were rescued and brought back to Nigeria over the weekend.
“The rescued young girls, ages 19 to 30 years, are from Ebonyi, Benue, Kaduna and Rivers states.
“They were lured to Ghana under the false promises of employment but were instead forced into exploitative situations and bound by an oath of secrecy, while the traffickers are making money off the dastardly act,” the statement read in part.
NiDCOM Chairman/CEO, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, praised the collaborative efforts that facilitated the rescue and expressed gratitude to First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu and Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru for their support.
She reiterated the commission’s commitment to protecting Nigerians abroad as part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes combating human trafficking.
The rescued girls hail from various states, including Ebonyi, Benue, Kaduna, and Rivers. They voluntarily surrendered after learning of earlier rescue missions conducted in Kpone Katamanso and Tema, Ghana.
A NiDCOM representative, Akinboye Akinsola, accompanied the victims back to Nigeria, while Callistus Elozieuwa, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Rescue Live Foundation International/NIDO Ghana, provided temporary shelter for the victims and facilitated their return.
Elozieuwa highlighted the critical role of international collaboration in dismantling trafficking networks.
Valentine Uzo, Senior Special Assistant to the Ebonyi governor, assured that the state government had plans in place to rehabilitate and reintegrate the rescued victims into society.
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