NIDCOM receives 13 trafficking victims rescued from Ghana, Mali
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), has received 13 Nigerians, including 12 young women and a five-year-old boy, who were rescued from trafficking in Ghana and Mali.
The victims were welcomed at the NIDCOM Liaison Office in Lagos, according to a statement signed by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Director of Media, Publicity, and Protocol at the Commission.
The 12 women rescued from Ghana are between the ages of 16 and 30, while the two individuals brought back from Mali are aged 27 and 35. The only child in the group, a five-year-old boy, was also among those rescued from Mali.
A breakdown of the victims by state of origin shows that four are from Cross River, four from Benue, and one each from Imo and Oyo States. The two rescued from Mali are from Adamawa State.
Speaking on behalf of Dabiri-Erewa, the Head of the Lagos Liaison Office, Mr. Dipo Odebowale, said the girls recounted being deceived with promises of jobs in Ghana but were instead forced into prostitution. A similar story was shared by those rescued from Mali.
The commission reiterated its commitment to working with relevant authorities to support the victims’ rehabilitation and to continue efforts in the fight against human trafficking.
“The victims also narrated how they were sexually abused, physically assaulted, and emotionally traumatised by their traffickers, both in Ghana and Mali.
“Dabiri-Erewa assured the girls that NIDCOM would continue to give the logistics and ensure that they are reunited with their families, and also work with their respective state Governors to rehabilitate the girls.
“She also called for the crackdown on the human traffickers and agents through naming and shaming them after necessary prosecution to curtail modern-day slavery.
“The girls were later taken to NAPTIP by NIDCOM for necessary profiling and documentation.”
