NIDCOM receives 12 trafficked Nigerian girls, 5-year-old boy rescued from Ghana, Mali

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has received another batch of trafficked Nigerians, including 12 girls and a five-year-old boy, rescued from human trafficking rings in Ghana and Mali.

The victims, some of whom narrated horrifying experiences of sexual abuse and physical violence, are now in the care of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

According to a statement issued on Sunday by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols at NIDCOM, the victims were received at the Commission’s liaison office in Lagos.

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The rescued individuals from Ghana include 10 young women, aged between 16 and 30, and a five-year-old boy.

“The two others, rescued from Mali, are adult women aged 27 and 35. A breakdown of their states of origin reveals that four of the Ghana victims hail from Cross River State, another four from Benue State, and one each from Imo and Oyo States. The two women from Mali are from Adamawa State”, the statement reads.

While receiving the returnees from Ghana on behalf of Abike Dabiri-Erewa, NIDCOM Chairman/CEO, Dipo Odebowale, Head of the Lagos Liaison Office, said the girls recounted being deceived with false promises of jobs abroad, only to be forced into prostitution upon arrival in Ghana.

“Similar stories were shared by the women rescued from Mali”, he added.

In separate accounts, the victims described being subjected to sexual exploitation, physical abuse, and severe emotional trauma by their traffickers, highlighting the continued dangers posed by human trafficking across West Africa.

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Reacting to the development, Dabiri-Erewa reaffirmed NIDCOM’s commitment to supporting the victims with logistics and reintegration efforts.

She assured the returnees that the Commission would work closely with the governors of their respective states to ensure their proper rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

The NIDCOM boss also issued a strong call for a crackdown on human traffickers and their agents, urging law enforcement agencies to name, shame, and prosecute them to serve as a deterrent to others.

“The trafficking of our citizens under false pretences must stop. We must intensify efforts to identify these criminals and bring them to justice,” she said.

After their arrival, the victims were handed over to NAPTIP for profiling and further assistance.