The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has condemned human trafficking after intervening in the rescue of 10 Nigerian girls trafficked to Ghana for prostitution under the guise of being “sales girls.”
This was contained in a statement signed by Gabriel Odu of the Public Relations Department of NiDCOM on Monday.
The girls, eight from Imo State and two from Plateau State were freed following the arrest of the suspect, who is currently in security custody.
In a series of videos that went viral on Twitter on Friday, the young girls, aged 15 to 18, were reported to have been lured into prostitution in Ghana.
The rescue of the 10 trafficked Nigerian teenagers was reportedly conducted by the Nigerians in the Diaspora Organisation in Ghana.
During her visit to Ghana, Dabiri-Erewa met with the rescued girls and commended the efforts of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation in Ghana, Chief Calistus Elozieuwa, and his team.
The rescue operation was conducted with the cooperation of various stakeholders, including representatives from the Imo State Government, the Eze Igbo of Ghana, and the Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Amb. Adeoye Ifedayo, the statement noted.
Dabiri-Erewa stressed the need for a permanent solution to eradicate human trafficking in Nigeria, declaring, “We must declare a war against human traffickers.”
She urged parents to monitor the whereabouts of their children and encouraged collective efforts to ensure traffickers are identified and prosecuted.
The rescued girls will be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons for counselling and rehabilitation before being returned to their respective states.
Ifedayo praised NIDO in Ghana for their swift action and highlighted the importance of stopping human trafficking.
The Deputy Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Amara Iwuanyanwu and the Commissioner for Women Affairs of Imo State, Nkechinyere Ugwu, reiterated their government’s commitment to the welfare of the rescued girls.
The Plateau State Government also pledged full support for the girls’ rehabilitation.
The delegation held discussions with senior members of the Ghanaian Police, who assured their cooperation in the fight against human trafficking