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The Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has disclosed that 10 Nigerian teenage girls allegedly trafficked to Ghana for prostitution have been rescued.
The girls, all under the age of 18, were reportedly lured from Nigeria to Ghana by a nameless man who has now been arrested by the police in neighbouring West African country.
The 10 girls, which included eight from Imo State and two from Plateau State, are now in safe hands.
This was contained in a media update issued on Saturday by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Director of Media and Public Relations, NIDCOM, Abuja.
The NIDCOM Boss revealed that the girls were rescued by the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO), an umbrella association for Nigerians living in Ghana.
A viral video showed the girls after they were rescued by NIDO officials in Ghana.
The audio from the video by the NIDO officials says “We just rescued all these ones from one single person, innocent Nigerian children that were brought here to do what they wouldn’t have wished do to.
“They are helpless. They picked them and send them to do prostitution and they would be collecting money from these innocent children.”
The NIDCOM Boss, in a post on X account also described the development as heartbreaking and asked the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to take over the matter.
“These are young girls trafficked to Ghana for prostitution,” she quoted a viral video showing the girls.
“We thank Chief Callistus, Chairman, NIDO Ghana, for ensuring the arrest of the evil perpetrator. I am sure NAPTIP will follow up, very heartbreaking.”
In a follow-up post, Dabiri-Erewa said another set of girls have been rescued. “The culprit will be charged to court in Ghana next week and arrangements being made to bring the rescued girls back to Nigeria,” she wrote, insisting that traffickers must be named and shamed.
“They are worse than drug barons! And as long as they are walking about freely, innocent young children will continue to be trafficked!”
The update by the NIDCOM media added "Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa , Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) again thanked Elozieuwa Callistus NIDO BOT Chair in Ghana, and the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana, for the safe custody of the trafficked girls, and ensuring they are well taken care of.
She expressed concern that while these girls are being rescued , more are probably still being trafficked, noting that traffickers need to be arrested, named and shamed.
The girls are expected to return to Nigeria next week and will be handed over to NAPTIP, the agency in charge of trafficking.
The documentation filled by the girls indicated that they were being sent to Ghana to work as “ sales girls “