Ten Nigerian teenage girls who were allegedly trafficked to Ghana for prostitution have been rescued and returned to Nigeria, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has announced.
The girls, all under the age of 18 and mainly from Imo State, were accompanied by representatives of the Imo State government and received by officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) upon their arrival in Lagos on Friday.
The girls were rescued by the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) in Ghana, an umbrella association for Nigerians living in the country.
A NIDO official was heard in a viral video describing the rescue, stating that the girls were brought to Ghana by a single man to engage in prostitution, and that the organization ensured the arrest of the alleged perpetrator.
NIDCOM Chairman Abike Dabiri-Erewa had earlier described the situation as heartbreaking and called on NAPTIP to take over the matter.
The viral video showed the girls after their rescue, with the NIDO official expressing their helplessness and the need for intervention to prevent such incidents in the future.
The return of the girls to Nigeria marks a significant step in addressing the issue of human trafficking and ensuring the safety and well-being of vulnerable individuals.
