Seventeen young Nigerian women trafficked to Ghana have been rescued and repatriated to their home country. Simultaneously, five traffickers were also apprehended through the efforts of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM).
A statement issued on Sunday, signed by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Director of Media, Public Relations, and Protocols at NiDCOM, indicated that this latest rescue operation brings the total number of girls repatriated from Ghana to Nigeria since July 2024 to 130.
“This was achieved through the combined and coordinated efforts of the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Police, Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Ghana, and the Nigerian High Commission in Accra,” the statement read.
Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chair and CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), thanked Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu (CON), for her assistance in ensuring the young women’s safe return to Nigeria.
She also commended the vital contributions of Chief Callistus Elozieuwa, BOT Chairman of NIDO Ghana, and the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Police Unit in ensuring that the traffickers were brought to justice.
Dr Dabiri-Erewa reiterated NiDCOM’s commitment to protecting Nigerians in the Diaspora under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises combating human trafficking and safeguarding the rights of Nigerian citizens at home and abroad.
The statement highlighted that the rescued young women, aged 18 to 29, come from various states, including Anambra, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Imo, Edo, and Ebonyi.
They were led to Ghana with false promises of employment, only to be coerced into exploitative positions and sworn to secrecy.
Dr Dabiri-Erewa reaffirmed her desire to continue rescuing individuals who are still trafficked in collaboration with various partners, saying that many more trafficked Nigerians are still waiting to be liberated.
Mr Williams Ayaregah, Director of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service, commended NiDCOM’s efforts under the leadership of Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa. He remarked, “More than ever, traffickers must realise that Ghana is no longer a safe haven.”
The operation in Kpone Katamanso, Tema, marked one of the most significant single-operation arrests, with five traffickers taken into custody.
Mr Akinboye Akinsola, representing NiDCOM, played a critical role in escorting the rescued women back to Nigeria, where they were handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for rehabilitation and reintegration.
Chief Callistus Elozieuwa also mentioned that two young men, including one previously detained in a Ghanaian prison, were repatriated.
With the assistance of NIDO Ghana, one of the young men underwent rehabilitation and returned to his home state of Anambra for family reintegration.
This international effort underscores NiDCOM’s dedication to eradicating human trafficking and highlights the significance of international cooperation in safeguarding Nigerians abroad, the statement concluded.