In yet another effort to combat human trafficking and reunite victims with their families, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has received 13 Nigerian nationals – 12 young girls and a five-year-old boy – recently rescued from human traffickers in Ghana and Mali.
The returnees, most of whom hail from Adamawa State, were received on behalf of Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of NiDCOM, by the Head of the Lagos Liaison Office, Mr. Dipo Odebowale. According to Odebowale, “the girls claimed they were tricked and forced into prostitution under the guise of helping them to get jobs in Ghana.”
Similarly, two other victims rescued from Mali shared harrowing accounts of their experiences with Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Head of Media and Public Relations of the Commission, who received them on behalf of Hon. Dabiri-Erewa. The survivors spoke of enduring sexual abuse, physical assault, and severe emotional trauma at the hands of their traffickers.
Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa reiterated the Commission’s commitment to supporting the victims’ rehabilitation and reintegration: “We will 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 assured.
She further called for an intensified crackdown on human traffickers:
“There must be a crackdown on the human traffickers and agents through naming and shaming them after necessary prosecution to curtail the modern-day slavery,” she added.
Following the reception, the victims were handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for profiling and further support.
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