FG Rescues 41 Nigerian Girls From Mali, Arrests 6 Suspected Human Traffickers

Nigeria Government on Monday rescued 41 Nigerian girls who were trafficked to Mali for forced labour and sexual exploitation in disguise of greener pastures.
The Federal Government on Monday evacuated 41 Nigerian girls who were trafficked to Mali for forced labour and sexual exploitation.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that six persons, alleged to be human traffickers, were also arrested and brought back to the country alongside their victims.Conveyed by Nigerian Airforce
A Hercules C-130 military aircraft, with registration number NAF 913, conveying the returnees landed at 7:45 pm at the Air Force Base of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
They were brought back by the Nigerian Air Force in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant, Diaspora and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).Received by NAPTIP, NIS and Abike Dabiri
They were received at the Hajj Camp area of the airport by officers of the NAPTIP and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).
Addressing newsmen, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, commended the Chief Of Defence Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar and Maj. Gen. Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin, for facilitating the return of the victims to the country.
According to her, the girls who are between 15 and 17 years old came back voluntarily after a traumatic experience in the hands of their traffickers and their ‘madam’ who promised them greener pastures in Europe.Rehabilitation through skills acquisitions
She urged them not to be ashamed of themselves because they were victims, adding that the government would rehabilitate them through skills acquisition programmes.
She called on non-governmental organisations to join the government in the rehabilitation drive for the returnees.
Dabiri-Erewa advised Nigerian parents to watch their children carefully and ensure that they don’t succumb to peer pressure and other activities that could exposed them to traffickers.
She confirmed that six of the alleged traffickers, who were arrested and brought back to the country, and would be handed over to the appropriate authorities for prosecution.
According to her, the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration remains committed to the welfare of Nigerians all over the world, hence this intervention.‘Get rich quick’ syndrome fuels trafficking
Joseph Famakinwa, Zonal Commander, NAPTIP, South-West Zone, who was also at hand to receive the returnees said 512 victims were returned to the zone in 2016.
Famakinwa said Nigerians needed to go back to the basics of bringing up their children uprightly and discouraging the ‘get rich quick’ syndrome.
He said poverty was not solely responsible for the increase in the human trafficking, stressing that other factors such as negligence, peer pressure and greed were also responsible.
He said NAPTIP would reveal the identities of the suspected traffickers in due course and ensure that they are brought to justice.