The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has successfully repatriated 13 trafficked Nigerian nationals—including 12 young women and a five-year-old boy—from Ghana and Mali, in a coordinated rescue operation aimed at combating human trafficking across West Africa.
According to a statement released on Sunday by NiDCOM’s Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, 11 victims were returned from Ghana, while two women were rescued from Mali.
The 11 victims from Ghana—aged between 16 and 30—hail from Cross River (4), Benue (4), Imo (1), and Oyo (1) states. The two women from Mali, aged 27 and 35, are from Adamawa State.
Mr. Dipo Odebowale, Head of NiDCOM’s Lagos Liaison Office, who spoke on behalf of NiDCOM Chairperson Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, revealed that the victims had been lured under false pretenses of employment opportunities but were later forced into prostitution, especially in Ghana.
The survivors from Mali shared distressing accounts of sexual abuse, physical violence, and emotional trauma with NiDCOM officials during debriefing sessions.
Hon. Dabiri-Erewa reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to the victims’ rehabilitation, reintegration, and psychological care, in partnership with the victims’ state governments. She also emphasized the need for stricter legal actions against human traffickers and called for a regional crackdown on trafficking networks operating within West Africa.
The victims have been handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further profiling, counseling, and long-term support.
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