Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), has strongly condemned human trafficking following the rescue of 10 Nigerian girls trafficked to Ghana under the pretense of employment as “sales girls.”
According to a statement from Gabriel Odu of NiDCOM’s Public Relations Department, the girls, eight from Imo State and two from Plateau State, were freed after the suspect was arrested and placed in security custody.
Viral videos on Twitter on Friday revealed that the young girls, aged 15 to 18, had been lured into prostitution in Ghana.
The rescue was executed by the Nigerians in the Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) in Ghana. During her visit to Ghana, Dabiri-Erewa met with the rescued girls and praised the efforts of Chief Calistus Elozieuwa, Chairman of NIDO Ghana’s Board of Trustees, and his team.
The operation involved various stakeholders, including representatives from the Imo State Government, the Eze Igbo of Ghana, and Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Amb. Adeoye Ifedayo.
Dabiri-Erewa called for a permanent solution to human trafficking in Nigeria, declaring, “We must declare a war against human traffickers.” She urged parents to keep track of their children’s whereabouts and emphasized the need for collective efforts to identify and prosecute traffickers.
The rescued girls will be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons for counseling and rehabilitation before being returned to their respective states.
Amb. Ifedayo praised NIDO in Ghana for their swift action and emphasized the importance of combating human trafficking.
