Seventeen young Nigerian women trafficked to Ghana have been successfully rescued and repatriated, while five traffickers linked to their exploitation were arrested in a coordinated operation led by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM). This latest rescue brings the total number of trafficked Nigerians repatriated from Ghana since July to 130.
The rescue was achieved through combined efforts by the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Police, the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Ghana, and the Nigerian High Commission in Accra, according to a statement by NiDCOM’s Director of Media, Abdur-Rahman Balogun.
Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, NiDCOM Chairman/CEO, expressed her gratitude to Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her support in ensuring the safe return of these young women. She also acknowledged the instrumental roles of NIDO Ghana BOT Chairman Chief Callistus Elozieuwa and the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Police Unit in bringing traffickers to justice.
Balogun confirmed that the rescued women, aged 18 to 29, came from states across Nigeria, including Anambra, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Imo, Edo, and Ebonyi. They were reportedly deceived by false promises of employment in Ghana, only to be forced into exploitative conditions bound by an oath of secrecy.
The rescue operation, conducted in Kpone Katamanso, Tema, led to one of the largest single arrests in Ghana’s anti-trafficking efforts, with five traffickers detained. Ghana’s Anti-Human Trafficking Unit Director, Williams Ayaregah, praised NiDCOM’s commitment under Dabiri-Erewa’s leadership, asserting that “Ghana is no longer a safe haven for traffickers.”
A NiDCOM representative, Mr. Akinboye Akinsola, escorted the rescued women back to Nigeria, where they were handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for rehabilitation and reintegration. Two young men were also repatriated with NIDO Ghana’s assistance, including one previously detained in a Ghanaian prison who has since returned to Anambra for family reintegration.
This cross-border operation underscores NiDCOM’s commitment to combating human trafficking and highlights the critical role of international collaboration in safeguarding Nigerians abroad.
