In a significant operation, Nigerian authorities have rescued 10 teenage girls, aged between 15 and 16, who were being forced into prostitution in Ghana. The girls, who were lured to Ghana with promises of a better life, were instead subjected to physical and sexual abuse without payment.
The victims, three of whom are from the same family, were arrested by Ghanaian authorities and handed over to the Nigerian authorities after a tip-off from the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDO). The girls were reportedly forced into prostitution by a Nigerian suspect who has been arrested and is currently in police custody.
The rescued girls revealed that they were beaten, molested, and forced into prostitution without pay. They were also stripped of their phones, making it impossible for them to contact their parents. The girls told investigators that their exploiters would give them out to men for sex without providing them with any compensation.
The Chairman of NIDO, Chief Callistus Elozieuwa, has appealed for support to ensure the safe return of the girls to Nigeria. The Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has also called on the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to take decisive action against human trafficking and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
The incident is a stark reminder of the growing problem of human trafficking in Nigeria and the need for urgent action to protect vulnerable young people from exploitation.
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