Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the chairperson/CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), has condemned in strong terms, modern-day slavery in the form of human trafficking.
Dabiri-Erewa condemned the practice in her remarks in Ghana where she visited 10 Nigerian girls trafficked to that country for prostitution under the guise of their employment as sales girls.
This is contained in a statement by Gabriel Odu of NiDCOM's Public Relations and Protocol Unit.
The statement indicated that Dabiri-Erewa praised Chief Calistus Elozieuwa, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO)-Ghana, for the effort made by him and his board members to secure the release of the girls.
The NiDCOM CEO emphasised the need for an end to human trafficking in Nigeria, saying, "We must declare a war against human traffickers."
She urged parents to find out the whereabouts of their children at all times when taken away by relatives or friends. She also called for collaborative efforts at naming and arresting traffickers.
Dabiri-Erewa further said the rescued girls would be handed over to the officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), which will in turn hand them over to their various states for counselling and rehabilitation.
Speaking at the event, according to the statement, Ambassador Adeoye Ifedayo, the acting Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, applauded NIDO-Ghana for rescuing the girls.
Ifedayo stressed the need for stakeholders to make conscious efforts to end human trafficking.
The statement mentioned that Amara Iwuanyanwu, the Deputy Speaker of the Imo House of Assembly, who represented the governor of the state, Hope Uzodinma, reiterated the government's commitment to improving the welfare of the rescued girls.
The delegation from Nigeria consisting of NiDCOM and Imo Stae Government officials met with the top echelon of the Ghanaian Police who pledged to cooperate in the war against human trafficking.
According to the statement, the delegation later met with the girls who were in high spirits and looked forward to returning home.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the news of the situation of the girls went viral after they were intercepted by officials of NIDO-Ghana, preventing them from continuing to their destination.
NIDO-Ghana officials then promptly alerted NiDCOM back in Nigeria, leading to the swift intervention, the statement added.