The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has successfully rescued and facilitated the return of three more Nigerian girls trafficked to Ghana, as the total number of rescued victims nears 200.
The girls, aged between 17 and 19, hail from Bayelsa and Ebonyi States. They were lured to Ghana under the guise of securing jobs, only to be forced into sexual exploitation. The victims identified as Divine, Favour, and Bright were received on Thursday at the Lagos office of NiDCOM and later handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for proper profiling and reintegration.
Chairman/CEO of NiDCOM, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who supervised the handover, decried the growing menace of human trafficking and called for collective efforts to expose the perpetrators.
“Human trafficking will not stop unless we begin to name and shame those behind this evil trade. These girls were deceived by their own relatives. It is heartbreaking,” she said.
Dabiri-Erewa commended Chief Callistus Elozieuwa, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Board of Trustees in Ghana, for his consistent collaboration with Ghanaian security agencies, which has been instrumental in the rescue of trafficked Nigerians.
She also acknowledged the efforts of the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana for its effective consular support and expressed gratitude to the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu (MON), for providing logistical assistance for the returnees.
The NiDCOM boss revealed that in the past few months, nearly 200 Nigerians mostly young women have been repatriated from Ghana as part of a joint effort between NiDCOM, NAPTIP, and other stakeholders.
In line with NiDCOM’s humanitarian approach, Dabiri-Erewa personally covered the cost of temporary accommodation for the victims in Lagos and provided transportation support to their respective home states.
NAPTIP officials confirmed that the girls will undergo further counseling, rehabilitation, and reintegration in their communities.
Meanwhile,NiDCOM has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Nigerians abroad and intensifying efforts against trafficking, irregular migration, and all forms of exploitation.
