'Seun Ibukun-Oni, Abuja
DAILY COURIER - In a coordinated operation between Nigerian and Ghanaian authorities, 17 young Nigerian women trafficked to Ghana were rescued and safely repatriated to Nigeria, while five traffickers were apprehended. This marks the latest success in a series of anti-trafficking efforts led by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), bringing the total number of rescued Nigerian girls from Ghana to 130 since July 2024.
The collaborative effort was the result of the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Police, the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Ghana, and the Nigerian High Commission in Accra working together to locate and retrieve the trafficked girls. According to Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of NiDCOM, the operation received critical support from Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, which facilitated the safe return of the victims.
NiDCOM’s Head of Media and Public Relations, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, confirmed that the rescued girls, aged 18 to 29, came from various Nigerian states, including Anambra, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Imo, Edo, and Ebonyi. They had been deceived with false promises of employment opportunities in Ghana but were instead forced into exploitative circumstances and coerced into taking oaths of secrecy to prevent escape.
Dabiri-Erewa commended the leadership of Chief Callistus Elozieuwa, BOT Chairman of NIDO Ghana, and the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Police Unit for their decisive action in bringing the traffickers to justice. She reiterated NiDCOM’s commitment to protecting Nigerians in the diaspora, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes combating human trafficking and safeguarding the rights of Nigerian citizens worldwide.
The operation, conducted in the Kpone Katamanso area of Tema, resulted in the arrest of five traffickers, marking one of the largest single-operation anti-trafficking arrests in recent years. Mr. Williams Ayaregah, Director of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service, lauded NiDCOM's efforts, stating, “More than ever, traffickers must realise that Ghana is no longer a safe haven.”
Following the rescue, the young women were escorted back to Nigeria by Mr. Akinboye Akinsola of NiDCOM and handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for rehabilitation and reintegration. Additionally, Chief Elozieuwa revealed that two young men were also repatriated to Nigeria, including one previously detained in a Ghanaian prison. Through NIDO Ghana’s intervention, the young man has been rehabilitated and has returned to his home state of Anambra for family reintegration.
This international collaboration underscores NiDCOM’s dedication to eradicating human trafficking, highlighting the power of cross-border partnerships in protecting Nigerians abroad.
