One of the girls who were force into prostitution in Ghana but rescued by the Nigerians Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, have narrated her experience.
The girls, who were between the ages of 17 and 19, where traffic to Ghana by their aunties from Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states, but were brought back to Lagos on Wednesday.
The Chairman of the commission, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa while addressing journalists yesterday in Lagos, said the girls were rescued with the support of the Nigeria high commission in Ghana, and Chief Calistus Elozieuwa, who is the chairman of Nigeria in Diaspora Organization in Ghana.
The survivors, after being rescued in Ghana, were brought to the commission office in Lagos, where they were taken care of by the commission before sending to National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, for profiling.
One of the survivors, who narrated her experience in Ghana, said her aunty lured her from Nigeria to Ghana with the hope that she will work in a supermarket over there.
Unfortunately, when she got there, after resting for three days, her aunty gave her a pack of condoms and ask her to stand on the street to call men who then pay her between 100 to 150 cedis before sleeping with her.
The survivor said she slept with many men for three months, because she had no option than to do it. She also described how she was transferred to another woman, who then beat her on daily basis whenever she declined to do her bidding.
Another survivor from Bayelsa State said she and her younger sister escaped from their aunty after she sent them to go on the street for prostitution.
“It was when we were walking on the street of Ghana that we met a man who took us to a police station. It was from there we were taken to Chief Calistus Elozieuwa who then took us to Nigeria High Commission, then here in NIDCOM office.
“It was a bad experience for us in Ghana. Because we rejected our aunty’s demand to go into prostitution, she started maltreating us, before we were rescued back to Nigeria. We want to continue our education,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Executive Officers of NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa urged parents to always look after their children.
She said there’s always a family member involved in trafficking in person.
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“That’s all we’ve been saying, that parents should know who their children are relating with. We are sister-agency to NAPTIP which is doing everything to ensure that the traffickers are nabbed.
“Four of the traffickers have been arrested, while 10 survivors are still in Ghana, but will return soon. Those arrested will be prosecuted, but there should be awareness and orientation to discourage trafficking of persons in Nigeria.
“In the chain of trafficking there’s always somebody that knows you, that knows your family, that convinces you not tell a family about your movement. With the support of Chief Calistus we have brought over 200 traffic survivors back to Nigeria since January till date from Ghana.
“As I speak with you now, there are about 10 survivors with Chief Calistus in Ghana. NIDCOM is just collaborating with other sister-agencies. We are all part of government, we are doing multi-agency collaboration.
“So we provide whatever support we can provide. Like these girls; we support them to go back to their states.
“NAPTIP will profile them and ensure that they get the traffickers arrested. They need those who took them to Ghana and get them arrested.
“So ours is just to provide logistic support for this innocent children and also follow through. We follow through with them so that they fulfill their dreams.”
She however commended the first lady of Nigeria, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, for providing transportation for the survivors, who were traffic to Ghana back home in Nigeria.
Vanguard News
