The Federal Government has received 231 Nigerian boys and girls who were rescued from human traffickers in Ghana.
The return of the victims, who were lured with fake promises of lucrative jobs but forced into internet fraud, was coordinated through a multi-agency collaboration led by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).
Staff Officer Dominic Mensah, Head of Human Trafficking at Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), said the victims were found during a raid on an estate where they were being held.
He revealed that 27 suspected traffickers were arrested during the operation.
“We got intelligence on the location two weeks ago and struck last week. We found underage youths and adults held there. Some were sick, and to prevent a humanitarian crisis, the Ghanaian government decided to repatriate them back to Nigeria,” Mensah explained.
Following their rescue, NIDCOM, with support from the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu and Wema Bank, facilitated the victims’ transportation back home.
They were officially handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further profiling and support.
The victims, aged between 15 and 38 years, hail from various states, with Edo State recording the highest number at 76. Other states include Delta (17), Imo (19), Enugu (12), Bayelsa (13), Ebonyi (8), Abia (9), Anambra (6), Cross River (7), Kogi (6), Niger (4), Akwa Ibom (3), Ondo (1) and Osun (1).
Receiving the returnees in Lagos, NIDCOM chairman Abike Dabiri-Erewa encouraged them not to feel ashamed of their experience.
“You are being received on behalf of President Bola Tinubu. The President cares about you and every Nigerian, regardless of where you reside. Hold your heads high. For those who want to return to school or learn a trade, support will be provided through your state governments,” she said.
Dabiri-Erewa thanked key stakeholders who supported the rescue, including the First Lady, Wema Bank, Chief Callistus Elozieuwa, Chairman BOT of NIDO Ghana, the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Ambassador Adeoye and Airtel, which provided starter packs to victims who already have their NIN.
She stressed that the government was committed to punishing human traffickers.
“They will not go scot-free. Traffickers will be punished. NAPTIP and other agencies will help you reintegrate and find jobs. You have a bright future ahead,” Dabiri-Erewa assured, while calling on state governments to support victims from their regions.
Speaking at the event, NAPTIP’s Zonal Commander, Comfort Agboka, said all victims would undergo thorough profiling, while suspects would be transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation.
Meanwhile, the owner of the estate where the victims were held is already undergoing trial in Ghana, with authorities promising that all involved in the trafficking network will face prosecution.
