The girls, eight from Imo State and two from Plateau State were freed following the arrest of the suspect, who is currently in custody.
The Nigerian government has set out plans to rehabilitate at least 10 Nigerian girls, who were victims of human trafficking and recently rescued in Ghana.
The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) are jointly planning the rehabilitation, according to a statement signed by Adekoye Vincent, the Communications Officer, NAPTIP.
SaharaReporters had reported that 10 Nigerian girls recently rescued from human traffickers in Ghana were now in safe custody and would be returning home by next week, according to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).
The girls, eight from Imo State and two from Plateau State were freed following the arrest of the suspect, who is currently in custody.
The Chairperson of NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in a statement signed by the commission’s spokesperson, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, on Saturday expressed her gratitude to the Ghana Board of Trustees Chairman of NIDCOM, Callistus Elozieuwa, and the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana.
However, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye visited the Headquarters of NAPTIP on Monday, after the viral reports of the trafficking of the girls to Ghana for sexual exploitation.
Adekoye explained that the Minister commended NAPTIP for its visible impact in tackling human trafficking in Nigeria and promised to join hands with the agency for sustained rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking through the existing empowerment scheme that had been established by the Ministry.
The Minister said, “I came here to see my sister concerning the issue of the Nigerian girls trafficked to Ghana. We will join hands with NAPTIP to empower them, give them skills or send them to school”.
The Minister also disclosed plans to embark on massive advocacy among diverse stakeholders including operators of commercial transport companies, the Aviation Sector, the Marine Sector, and a cross-section of parents across the country adding that parents and transport operators would be held responsible if found culpable in the trafficking of children.
She solicited the support and cooperation of all Nigerians to tackle the issues of human trafficking in the Country.
On her part, the Director General of NAPTIP, Prof. Fatima Waziri –Azi thanked the Minister for the visit and her support towards to sustained fight against human trafficking adding that the agency had been proactive, strategic, and deliberate in carrying out its mandates leading to the conviction of 29 human traffickers from January 2024 till date, 67 traffickers in 2023, 80 in 2022 and a total of 670 human trafficking convictions since the inception of the Agency including the rescue of over 23,000 victims.
She said, “Even though the government has a major role in tackling human trafficking, communities and families have an even greater role in tackling these issues. Regarding the girls in Ghana, we are in touch with the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Unit. The girls have been rescued and are safe.
"The perpetrator has been arrested, and I am also in contact with Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM). I am very delighted by the Minister’s visit this morning. From our conversation, we will definitely approach this issue in a more strategic way, in terms of prevention. Prevention is better than cure.
“I also want to emphasise to parents and young people that there is no free lunch anywhere; if it is free, then you are definitely the product. We know that everyone desires a better life, but wanting a better life does not mean you should not be discerning. When somebody comes and offers you Eldorado, please ask questions."