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