NAPTIP takes custody of eight rescued girls trafficked to Ghana

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has taken into custody eight more young girls who were trafficked to Ghana but have been rescued and brought back to Nigeria.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, received the young ladies at the NiDCOM Annex Office in Lagos for onward handover to NAPTIP.

She thanked the wife of the President, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, for her unwavering support in facilitating the girls’ return. She also acknowledged the significant role of Chief Callistus Elozieuwa, President of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Ghana chapter, the Nigerian embassy in Ghana, and the Interpol units of Nigeria and Ghana.

According to her, the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to combating human trafficking and protecting the rights of Nigerian citizens both at home and in the diaspora.

She confirmed that the rescued girls were handed over to NAPTIP to ensure that they have safe and comfortable accommodation pending their formal rehabilitation and reintegration with their families.

The rescued girls, aged between 15 and 22, hail from various states across Nigeria, including Ebonyi, Akwa-Ibom, Imo, Plateau, and Cross River. They were lured to Ghana under false promises of employment but were forced into sexual exploitation.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa noted that there are still many more trafficked victims waiting to be rescued and thanked the Ghanaian security agencies for their cooperation.

Meanwhile, a 28-year-old Nigerian, Ms Favour Ugwu, one of the traffickers, has been arrested and jailed for eight years by the court in Ghana on charges of human trafficking.