NiDCOM receives 13 trafficked Nigerians rescued from Ghana, Mali
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has received 13 trafficked Nigerians, including 12 girls and a five-year-old boy, rescued from Ghana and Mali.
In a press statement signed by the Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, on Sunday, NiDCOM revealed that 11 of the victims were rescued from Ghana, while two women, aged 27 and 35, were brought back from Mali.
According to the Commission, the rescued girls from Ghana, aged between 16 and 30, are from Cross River (4), Benue (4), Imo (1), and Oyo (1) States. The two women from Mali hail from Adamawa State.
Speaking on behalf of Dabiri-Erewa, Head of NiDCOM’s Lagos Liaison Office, Mr Dipo Odebowale said the victims were deceived with promises of job opportunities but were later forced into prostitution in Ghana.
Similarly, the two women rescued from Mali narrated their ordeal to NiDCOM’s Head of Media and Public Relations, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, stating they suffered sexual abuse, physical assault, and emotional trauma.
Dabiri-Erewa assured that the Commission would work with the victims’ state governments to ensure their rehabilitation and reintegration. She also called for the prosecution and public exposure of traffickers to combat modern-day slavery.
The victims have been handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for profiling and further support.
