The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, has confirmed the rescue of 5 m girls from Benue state trafficked to Ivory Coast for prostitution.
The girls aged between 18 and 21 years were seen in a video which has gone viral on the social media, speaking Tiv language and mentioning their names and age.
Confirming the incident, NAPTIP Makurdi Zonal Commander, Gloria Bai said the girls have been rescued and are currently in custody of the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan.
Bai said NAPTIP’s attention was drawn on Monday to a group of girls rescued in Ivory Coast.
She said “We have seen the girls and the video. The girls are there in Cote D’Ivoire.
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For now they are five of them and we have spoken to them yesterday and they are safe at the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan.
“As I speak with you, arrangements are being made for them to be brought back to the country and we are monitoring the situation to ensure that they are brought back safely and handed over to us.”
The Zonal Commander said investigation into the circumstances that led to the girls being trafficked to Abidjan have commenced, adding that the woman mentioned by the girls as being responsible for their predicament has been arrested.
ait.live gathered that the girls were trafficked to CoteD’Ivoire for prostitution by a woman based in Jato Aka in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue state.
(Editor: Oloyede Oworu)
