Seventeen young Nigerian women have been rescued from human trafficking in Ghana and successfully repatriated to Nigeria, as reported by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM). The agency announced on Sunday that five traffickers involved in the operation have been apprehended.
This rescue adds to the growing number of Nigerian girls returned from Ghana, bringing the total to 130 since July 2024, according to NiDCOM’s Director of Media, Abdur-Rahman Balogun. The coordinated effort involved collaboration with the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Police, the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Ghana, and the Nigerian High Commission in Accra.
NiDCOM Chairman, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, expressed her appreciation to Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her support in facilitating the victims’ safe return. She also commended Chief Callistus Elozieuwa, Chairman of NIDO Ghana’s Board of Trustees, and the Ghanaian police for their commitment to bringing the traffickers to justice.
Dabiri-Erewa reaffirmed NiDCOM’s dedication to protecting Nigerians, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which emphasizes combating human trafficking and safeguarding citizens both domestically and internationally.
The rescued women, aged 18 to 29, hail from various Nigerian states, including Anambra, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Imo, Edo, and Ebonyi. They were lured to Ghana with false promises of employment but faced exploitation and were forced to take oaths of secrecy.
Balogun pointed out that many more Nigerians remain victims of trafficking, and efforts to rescue them will persist through ongoing collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
Mr. Williams Ayaregah, Director of the Ghana Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, issued a warning to traffickers, stating that Ghana will no longer be a safe haven for such criminal activities. The rescue operation took place in Kpone Katamanso, Tema, resulting in the arrest of five suspects.
NiDCOM representative Akinboye Akinsola accompanied the rescued women back to Nigeria, where they were handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for rehabilitation and reintegration.
Additionally, two young men were repatriated, one of whom had been detained in a Ghanaian prison. With assistance from NIDO Ghana, he received rehabilitation and has since returned to his family in Anambra State.
This cross-border initiative highlights NiDCOM’s commitment to eradicating human trafficking and underscores the importance of international cooperation in protecting Nigerians abroad.
