The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has confirmed the successful rescue and repatriation of 13 Nigerian girls trafficked to Ghana.

New Telegraph reports that the latest rescue mission brings the total number of victims rescued since July 2024 to 163.

The operation, which took place over the weekend, was a result of joint efforts involving the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Police, Rescue Live Foundation International, NIDO Ghana, and NiDCOM.

In a statement issued on Friday by NiDCOM’s spokesperson, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the 13 victims, aged 19 to 30, were lured to Ghana with promises of lucrative job opportunities but were instead subjected to exploitative conditions.

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Many of them had been bound by oaths of secrecy, and traffickers profited from their misery.

The rescued girls are from Ebonyi, Benue, Kaduna, and Rivers states.

They voluntarily came forward after hearing about previous rescue operations in Kpone Katamanso and Tema, Ghana.

NiDCOM Chairman/CEO Abike Dabiri-Erewa expressed her gratitude for the collaborative efforts that led to the rescue, thanking First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu and Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru for their support.

Dabiri-Erewa reaffirmed NiDCOM’s commitment to protecting Nigerians abroad, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes the fight against human trafficking.

A NiDCOM representative, Akinboye Akinsola, escorted the victims back to Nigeria. Meanwhile, Callistus Elozieuwa, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Rescue Live Foundation International and NIDO Ghana, provided temporary shelter for the victims in Ghana and facilitated their return.

Elozieuwa emphasized the importance of international cooperation in dismantling trafficking networks.

Valentine Uzo, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Ebonyi State, assured that plans were in place to rehabilitate and reintegrate the rescued victims into society.