The police in Cross River State have rescued two teenage girls allegedly trafficked from Ogoja to Ivory Coast, where they were reportedly subjected to commercial sex exploitation.

The victims, identified as Victoria, 16, and Comfort, 17, were brought back to Nigeria after police officers attached to the Ogoja Divisional Headquarters intervened in the case.

The girls were said to have been deceived with promises of better opportunities before being taken to Ivory Coast. Upon arrival, they reportedly faced exploitation, physical abuse and other forms of hardship.

In a related development, the police also intercepted two teenage girls allegedly being transported from Ogoja through Lagos to Ivory Coast, preventing their suspected traffickers from taking them out of the country.

The rescue operations have renewed concerns over the activities of human traffickers who target young people with promises of employment and improved living conditions abroad.

Receiving the rescued girls, the wife of the Ogoja Local Government Council chairman, Mrs Christy Asari Agbeh, condemned child trafficking, describing it as a crime that exposes children to exploitation and jeopardises their future.

Agbeh commended the police for their intervention and directed that the two repatriated girls be taken to General Hospital, Ogoja, for medical examination to facilitate their rehabilitation and eventual reintegration.

She urged parents, guardians, traditional and religious leaders, as well as community members, to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements involving children to security agencies.

Agbeh also cautioned young people against accepting unverified offers of lucrative employment or better opportunities abroad, stressing the need to properly investigate such offers before travelling.

She assured that the Ogoja Local Government Council would sustain collaboration with security agencies and relevant stakeholders to protect children from trafficking and support efforts to bring perpetrators to justice.