The Nigerian Embassy in Senegal in conjunction with a Dakar-based Non-Governmental Organisation, “La Lumiere”, which translates to “Free the Slaves” in English, have rescued 24 Nigerian girls who were trafficked into the country for prostitution.
Acting Ambassador to Senegal, Salihu Abubakar, who disclosed this at a press conference in Dakar on Sunday, said combined operatives of the Nigerian Embassy and the NGO rescued the girls who were subjected to sexual exploitation in the Tamaccounda and Kedougou regions of the West African country.
According to Abubakar, most of the girls are under-aged, ranging between the ages of 11, 13, and 24, and were trafficked to Senegal, through Cotonou, Republic of Benin, via the Mali to Senegal border for sexual exploitation.
“These girls and many more are being trafficked to Senegal, through Cotonou, Benin Republic via Mali to the Senegal border for prostitution,” Abubakar said.
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The envoy stated that preliminary investigations revealed that most of the girls who were school dropouts, are from Edo and Delta States, with a few of them from Imo and Abia States while two others are from Plateau State.
He, however, said of the 24, 22 were already repatriated weeks ago while the two other ladies were repatriated to Nigeria on Saturday and had landed in Nigeria safely.
“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 said.
Abubakar added that the successful repatriation of the girls to Nigeria was a clear indication of the strengthened international cooperation in combating human trafficking between the embassy and the Senegalese NGO.
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