Nigerian girls trafficked to Ghana return home
Published By: Ayorinde Oluokun
Nine teenage Nigerian girls allegedly trafficked to Ghana for prostitution have been repatriated back home. The girls who were from Imo State returned to Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 9:55pm on Friday.
They were subsequently profiled and handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP).
The return of the girls to Nigeria followed visit by the Chairman/CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri Erewa and the representatives of the Imo State Governor, Chyna Amara Iwuanyanwu (Deputy Speaker of the Imo State House) and Imo State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Nkechinyere Ugwu to Ghana after the news of their presence in the West African country became public.
Dabiri-Erewa confirmed that the rescued girls have been handed over to NAPTIP and to their respective states for rehabilitation and counseling while the alleged mastermind of their trafficking has been arrested and charged to court in Ghana.
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Dabiri-Erewa emphasized the need for a permanent solution to eradicate human trafficking in Nigeria, adding, “We must declare a war against human traffickers.” She urged parents to always question the whereabouts of their children when taken away by relatives or friends and encouraged collective efforts to ensure traffickers are identified and arrested.
She thanked the Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Ambassador Adeoye Ifedayo, Eze Igbo Ghana, Chukwudi Ihenetu, Chief Callistus, Chairman BOT, Ghana, and the NIDO Team.
She also commended the Imo State Governor for dispatching a high-powered delegation with utmost dispatch to rescue the girls.
