The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has received a fresh batch of 12 trafficked girls and a five-year-old boy, who were recently rescued from human traffickers in Ghana and Mali.
A statement by NiDCOM Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, says the victims, aged between 16 and 35, were handed over to the Commission at its Lagos liaison office.
Ten of them were rescued from Ghana, while two from Adamawa State were brought back from Mali.
Those rescued from Ghana are mostly from Cross River, Benue, Imo, and Oyo States.
Speaking on behalf of NiDCOM Chairman, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Head of the Lagos office, Dipo Odebowale, stated that the victims were lured under false pretenses of job opportunities, only to be forced into prostitution.
They recounted harrowing experiences, including sexual exploitation, physical abuse, and emotional trauma at the hands of their traffickers.
Dabiri-Erewa reiterated the Commission’s commitment to ensuring the victims are safely reunited with their families.
She said they will be rehabilitated in collaboration with their respective state governments.
NiDCOM Chairman called for an urgent nationwide crackdown on traffickers, advocating the public naming and shaming of convicted offenders.
The rescued individuals had been handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for proper profiling and further support.
