Seventeen Nigerian girls trafficked to Ghana have been rescued and returned to Nigeria, with five of their traffickers arrested.
According to a statement by NiDCOM Head of Media and Publicity, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, on Sunday, the rescued women aged 18 to 29 came from various Nigerian states including Anambra, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Imo and Edo, and Ebonyi.
They were reportedly lured to Ghana with false promises of work and then forced into exploitative situations and sworn to secrecy.
“Seventeen young Nigerian girls trafficked to Ghana have been rescued and repatriated to the country, while five traffickers have also been arrested.
“With this latest rescue operation, 130 girls have been repatriated to Nigeria from Ghana alone since July 2024,” Balogun noted.
The rescue operation was coordinated by the Ghana Anti-Human Trafficking Police in collaboration with the Nigerians in Diaspora Organization Ghana and the Nigerian High Commission in Accra.
Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, thanked the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her support in facilitating the safe return of the young women.
Dabiri-Erewa also commended the efforts of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NIDO Ghana, Chief Callistus Elozieuwa, and the Ghana Police Anti-Human Trafficking Unit to ensure justice for the victims.
She reiterated “NiDCOM’s commitment to protecting Nigerians in the diaspora as part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes combating human trafficking and protecting the rights of Nigerian citizens at home and in the diaspora.” the statement continues.
The NiDCOM boss stressed her determination to rescue more trafficked Nigerians with the help of various stakeholders, noting that many are still waiting for help.
Director of Ghana’s Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, Williams Ayaregah, commended NiDCOM’s efforts under the leadership of Dabiri-Erewa, saying: „More than ever, human traffickers must realize that Ghana is no longer a safe haven.“
The operation conducted in Kpone Katamanso, Tema resulted in one of the largest arrests in a single operation where five traffickers were arrested.
NiDCOM representative Akinboye Akinsola helped escort the rescued women back to Nigeria where they were handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Human Trafficking for rehabilitation and reintegration.
In addition to the rescued women, two young men were repatriated, including one who had previously been imprisoned in Ghanaian prisons, the statement concluded.
