The Nigerian Embassy, in collaboration with a non-governmental organization based in Senegal, successfully rescued 24 girls from Nigeria who were victims of sexual exploitation in the regions of Tamaccounda and Kedougou in Senegal.
According to Salihu Abubakar, the acting Ambassador of the Nigerian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal, the girls, many of whom were minors aged between 11 and 24, were trafficked from Nigeria through Cotonou in the Republic of Benin, and then further to Senegal via the Mali-Senegal border.
Their purpose of transportation was to exploit them sexually in the aforementioned regions of Tamaccounda and Kedougou.
This joint effort between the Nigerian Embassy and the Senegalese NGO highlights the commitment to combatting human trafficking and protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation.
The successful rescue mission demonstrates the importance of international cooperation in addressing such critical issues and ensuring the safety and well-being of those at risk.
Abubakar highlighted, “These girls and many more are being trafficked to Senegal, through Cotonou, Benin Republic via Mali to the Senegal border for prostitution,” the diplomat stated.
The acting ambassador reported that initial investigations revealed that the majority of the 24 rescued girls, who had dropped out of school, were from Edo and Delta states. A smaller number were from Imo, Abia, and Plateau states.
He confirmed that 22 of the girls had been returned to Nigeria weeks earlier, while the remaining two were safely repatriated on Saturday.
Although the ambassador could not provide immediate information on the victims’ health status or their experiences during their time in Senegal, he hailed the successful repatriation as a testament to the strengthened collaboration between the embassy and a Senegalese NGO in combating human trafficking.
This cooperation, he noted, had been instrumental in rescuing the girls from sexual exploitation and returning them to Nigeria.
Free the Slaves” (La Lumiere in French).
“Our main goal and number one priority is to discourage the trafficking of our Nigerian girls to any part of the world for prostitution under any disguise,” Abubakar mentioned.
