Two Nigerian girls rescued from human trafficking in Ghana

Barely a week after 11 Nigerian girls were illegally transported to Ghana, two others have been rescued from organized human trafficking following an escape attempt that alerted authorities.

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The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) on Tuesday confirmed that the two girls, whose rescue operation was facilitated by Chief Calistus, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organization (NIDO) of Ghana, are now in custody.

The girls, both from Lagos, were lured to Ghana with false promises of employment but were forced into prostitution upon arrival. One of the girls, a pastor's daughter, resisted because of her faith, leading to threats and coercion from traffickers.

“They cut our hair and made videos of us naked, threatening to drive us crazy or post the videos online if we tried to escape,” one of the girls said.

The girls revealed that they entered Ghana without passports and were handed over to traffickers known as “Oga Sunny”, “Miss Mary” and “Nicki”. Despite occult threats, a young girl found the courage to escape after attending a service at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

Chief Calistus, alerted by the church, quickly intervened, even though the main trafficker was not present at the time of the rescue. He discovered another victim in the apartment, highlighting the dire conditions the girls endured, including starvation and physical abuse.

The rescued girls revealed that more than 30 people were still captive in the apartment. Calistus assured that the young girls would assist the police in their investigation aimed at apprehending the traffickers.

Calistus called on Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of NIDCOM, to collaborate with the Lagos State Government to rehabilitate the girls. Dabiri-Erewa assured that arrangements would be made to bring the girls back to Nigeria and hand them over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

“We will ensure that the lives of these children are not wasted and will fight this battle until we achieve victory,” Calistus said.