The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission has taken custody of 13 trafficked Nigerians, including 12 girls and a 5-year-old boy, who were rescued from Ghana and Mali.
The Commission disclosed this development in a press statement signed by its Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, on Sunday.
According to the statement, 11 victims were rescued from Ghana while two women aged 27 and 35 were brought back from Mali. The rescued girls from Ghana, aged between 16 and 30, originate from Cross River (4), Benue (4), Imo (1), and Oyo (1) States, while the two women from Mali are from Adamawa State.
The Head of NiDCOM’s Lagos Liaison Office, Mr. Dipo Odebowale, speaking on behalf of Chairman/CEO Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, revealed the victims’ harrowing experiences. He explained that they were lured abroad with false promises of job opportunities only to be forced into prostitution in Ghana.
The two women rescued from Mali shared their traumatic experiences with NiDCOM’s Head of Media and Public Relations, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, detailing how they endured sexual abuse, physical assault, and severe emotional trauma during their ordeal.
Dabiri-Erewa assured that the Commission would collaborate with the victims’ state governments to facilitate their rehabilitation and reintegration into society. She emphasized the need to prosecute traffickers and publicly expose their activities as part of efforts to combat modern-day slavery.
All 13 victims have been handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons for proper profiling and to receive additional support services.