163 Trafficked Nigerians Rescued from Ghana in Five Months as NIDCOM Clamps Down on Human Traffickers

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The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), in collaboration with other key stakeholders, has successfully rescued another group of 13 trafficked girls from Ghana, bringing the total number of repatriated victims to 163 in the past five months.

The latest rescue operation, carried out over the weekend, was a coordinated effort involving the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Police, Rescue Live Foundation International, and NIDO Ghana.

NIDCOM Chairman/CEO, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, expressed deep gratitude to Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu and Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State for their crucial support in ensuring the safe return of the victims.

Dabiri-Erewa also commended the collaborative efforts of Chief Callistus Elozieuwa, BOT Chairman of Rescue Live Foundation International and NIDO Ghana, along with the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Police Unit, for their determination to bring the traffickers to justice.

She reaffirmed NIDCOM’s unwavering commitment to protecting Nigerians abroad and combating human trafficking under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. She emphasised that safeguarding the rights of Nigerians both at home and in the Diaspora remained a top priority for the Commission.

The rescued girls, aged 19 to 30, hail from Ebonyi, Benue, Kaduna, and Rivers States.

According to a statement from NIDCOM’s Head of Media and Public Relations, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the victims had been lured to Ghana with false promises of employment. Once there, they were subjected to exploitative conditions, forced into secrecy through oaths, while their traffickers profited from their suffering.

Mr. Akinboye Akinsola, a NIDCOM representative who accompanied the girls back to Nigeria, noted that the victims surrendered themselves willingly after learning about earlier rescue operations in Ghana’s Kpone Katamanso and Tema regions.

Upon arrival in Nigeria, the victims were handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for rehabilitation and reintegration.

Chief Callistus Elozieuwa explained that with the help of Rescue Live Foundation International and NIDO Ghana, the rescued women were provided temporary shelter and support after expressing their desire to return home. He praised the collaborative effort that made the rescue mission possible.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Ebonyi State, Valentine Okike Uzo, thanked Governor Nwifuru for his dedication to supporting Ebonyi indigenes, both at home and abroad.

He assured that the state government was fully committed to ensuring proper rehabilitation and reintegration for the victims.

This latest success underscored the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing human trafficking and highlighted NIDCOM’s ongoing resolve to protect and support Nigerians in vulnerable situations worldwide.