The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has successfully rescued and repatriated 17 Nigerian women trafficked to Ghana, following a joint operation with the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Police, the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Ghana, and the Nigerian High Commission in Accra.
Five suspects were arrested during the operation, as reported by NiDCOM spokesperson Abdur-Rahman Balogun.
This latest rescue brings the total number of Nigerian women repatriated from Ghana since July 2024 to 130. The women, aged between 18 and 29 and hailing from Anambra, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Imo, Edo, and Ebonyi states, were allegedly lured to Ghana with false promises of employment, only to face exploitation and coercion through oaths of secrecy.
NiDCOM representative 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.
Williams Ayaregah, director of the Ghana Police Service’s Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, emphasised that “Ghana is no longer a safe haven” for traffickers and warned of swift action against human trafficking networks.
NiDCOM chairperson Abike Dabiri-Erewa expressed gratitude to Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, for her support in the repatriation efforts and commended the collaboration with Ghanaian authorities and NIDO Ghana.
She reaffirmed NiDCOM’s commitment to safeguarding Nigerians abroad, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Additionally, two young men were repatriated, including one who had been imprisoned in Ghana. With the assistance of NIDO Ghana, he has since undergone rehabilitation and reunited with his family in Anambra State.
