Ten Nigerian girls recently rescued from human traffickers in Ghana are now in safe custody and receiving necessary care, according to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM).
According to NiDCOM, the rescue operation was a collaborative effort between the Nigerians in the Diaspora Organisation in Ghana and the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana.
”The girls, aged between 15 and 18, include eight from Imo State and two from Plateau State. They were freed following the arrest of a suspect who is currently in security custody.
”The girls had reportedly been lured into prostitution in Ghana, as revealed in a series of videos that went viral on Twitter on Friday.
”The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation in Ghana, Chief Callistus Elozieuwa, played a pivotal role in ensuring the girls’ safety,” NiDCOM said in a statement.
NiDCOM Chairperson Abike Dabiri-Erewa expressed her gratitude to Elozieuwa and the Nigerian High Commission for their efforts in the successful rescue operation.
Dabiri-Erewa highlighted the persistent issue of human trafficking and stressed the need for continued vigilance to apprehend and expose traffickers.
“While these girls were being rescued, more are probably still being trafficked. Traffickers need to be arrested, named, and shamed,” she said.
The rescued girls are scheduled to return to Nigeria next week, where they will be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the agency responsible for handling trafficking cases.
Recall that NAPTIP recently expressed grave concern over the alarming increase in baby factories across Nigeria.
The agency’s director-general, Fatima Waziri-Azi, highlighted the issue in a statement.
Ms Waziri-Azi pointed out the growing reports and public outcry regarding the illicit sale of babies and the existence of facilities that trap young girls and recruit men to impregnate them, with the babies being sold after birth.
The director-general encouraged the public to report trafficking cases to NAPTIP by calling the agency’s toll-free number: 0703 0000 203 or short code 627 (available on MTN and Airtel networks only).
