Trafficked Teenagers Rescued From Ghana, As Diaspora Commission Repatriates 163

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission on Friday November 15, 2024, informed that about 163 underaged trafficked persons have been returned  to Nigeria from different parts of the world, particularly neighbouring West African countries in the last five months.

This is even as the Commission announced the rescue of 13 trafficked young Nigerian girls from Ghana at the weekend.

According to the Commission’s  Representative, Akinboye Akinsola, the latest batch of 13 rescued victims however voluntarily submitted themselves to the authorities.

A statement from  NIDCOM’s spokesperson Abdul-Raham Balogun, said Akinsola spoke at the  occasion of the formal handing over of the repatriated victims to the National Agency for the Prohibitions of  Trafficking in Persons NAPTIP.

The latest victims ,the Commission’s Representative noted, decided to surrender themselves after learning about previous rescue operations in Kpone Katamanso and Tema areas of Ghana by the NIDCOM.

The statement noted that the 13 rescued victims whose ages range between 19 and 30 years, hail from Rivers, Kaduna, Benue and Ebonyi States.

The rescue operations were jointly carried out by Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Police, the Rescue Live Foundation International and the NIDO Ghana, in concert with NIDCOM .

According to the statement, the NIDCOM expressed its profound appreciation to Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, and the Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, for their crucial support in facilitating the repatriation of the trafficked young girls back to the country.

The Commission, also, acknowledged the immense contributions and assistance from the  Rescue Live Foundation International and NIDO Ghana, particularly, the Chairman of BoT, Chief Callistus Alozieuwa and the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Police Unit ,in ensuring that  those behind the  traffickings were made to face the law.

The NIDCOM spokesman said the victims were lured to Ghana under the pretext of being offered employment opportunities.

However, rather than the offer of jobs as promised, they were forced into exploitative jobs, including as commercial sex workers.

They  were also  administered with oath of secrecy while their traffickers smile to the banks.

The Commission while reaffirming its commitment to protecting all Nigerians outside the shores of the country, noted that  the NAPTIP is to rehabilitate and reintegrate the rescued victims back into the society.