The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) have handed over eight more young girls trafficked to Ghana but were rescued to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
A press statement by the NIDCOM Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, Thursday in Abuja, said the Commission’s Chairman/CEO, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, while receiving the young ladies at the NIDCOM Annex Office in Lagos, thanked Nigeria’s Ist Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her unwavering support in facilitating the return of the girls.
The statement signed by Gabriel Odu noted that she also acknowledged the significant role of the President, Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO), Ghana Chapter, Chief Callistus
According to the NIDCOM boss, the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu was committed to combating human trafficking and protecting the rights of Nigerian citizens both at home and in the Diaspora.
Furthermore, the Chairman/CEO, said the rescued girls have been handed over to the NAPTIP to ensure that the girls have safe and comfortable accommodations pending their formal rehabilitation and reintegration with their families.
The rescued girls, aged between 15 and 22, hail from various states across Nigeria, including Ebonyi, Akwa-Ibom, Imo, Plateau, and Cross River, were lured to Ghana under false promises of employment but were forced into sexual exploitation.
She noted that there were still many more trafficked victims waiting to be rescued and thanked the Ghanaian security agencies for their co operation.
Meanwhile, Odu disclosed that one of the traffickers, a 28-year-old Nigerian, Ms. Favour Ugwu, was arested and jailed for eight years in prison by the court in Ghana on account of human trafficking.