The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has received thirteen Nigerians who are victims of human trafficking.
The received party included twelve young women and a five-year-old boy, who were rescued from Ghana and Mali and are all indigenes of Adamawa state.
The victims who were received in Lagos by Dipo Odebowale, Head of NiDCOM’s Lagos Liaison Office narrated how they had been deceived with promises of employment but were later coerced into prostitution.
Similarly, those evacuated from Mali recounted to Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Head of Media and Public Relations at NiDCOM, that they faced sexual abuse, physical violence, and emotional trauma while in captivity.
According to a statement by the agency’s Head of Media and Public Relations, Abdur-Rahman Balogun on Sunday, the rescued victims have been handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for detailed profiling and documentation.
The statement read “Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), received another set of 12 trafficked girls and a boy of five years old rescued from Ghana and Mali were from Adamawa state.
“Receiving the latest evacuees from Ghana on behalf of Hon. Dabiri-Erewa, the Head of Lagos liason office, Mr Dipo Odebowale said the girls claimed they were tricked and forced into prostitution under the guise of helping them to get jobs in Ghana.
“Similar reason was adduced by those rescued from Mali to Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Head of Media and Public Relations of the Commission who received them on behalf of Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa in Lagos.
“The victims also narrated how they were sexually abused, physically assaulted and emotionally traumatised by their traffickers both in Ghana and Mali.
“Dabiri-Erewa assured the girls that NIDCOM would continue to give the logistics and ensure that they are reunited with their families and also work with their respective state Governors to rehabilitate the girls.The girls were later taken to NAPTIP by NIDCOM for necessary profiling and documentation.”
