In a significant rescue operation, nineteen young individuals, including seventeen women aged 18 to 29 and two young men, have been returned to Nigeria after being trafficked to Ghana. The operation also led to the arrest of five suspected traffickers.
Abdur-Rahman Balogun, spokesperson for the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), confirmed that the repatriated women come from various states, including Anambra, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Imo, Edo, and Ebonyi. This latest operation raises the total number of women repatriated from Ghana to 130 since July.
The victims were reportedly lured to Ghana with false promises of employment, only to find themselves trapped in exploitative conditions. Following their rescue, they have been handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for rehabilitation and reintegration.
The successful rescue was made possible through collaboration between NiDCOM, the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Police, and the Nigerian High Commission in Accra. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairperson of NiDCOM, expressed gratitude for the support of Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, and acknowledged the efforts of those involved in bringing the traffickers to justice.
Dabiri-Erewa reiterated the agency’s commitment to rescuing more trafficking victims, emphasizing the ongoing risks faced by many Nigerians due to limited job opportunities that make them vulnerable to exploitation.
