The Nigerian Embassy in Senegal, in collaboration with Dakar-based non-governmental organization "La Lumiere" (Free the Slaves), has rescued 24 Nigerian girls trafficked into the country for prostitution. Acting Ambassador to Senegal Salihu Abubakar disclosed this during a press conference in Dakar on Sunday.
Abubakar stated that combined
operatives from the Nigerian Embassy and the NGO rescued the girls, who had
been subjected to sexual exploitation in the Tamaccounda and Kedougou regions
of Senegal. According to Abubakar, most of the rescued girls are underage,
ranging from 11 to 24 years old. They were trafficked to Senegal through
Cotonou, Benin Republic, via the Mali-Senegal border.
“These girls and many more are
being trafficked to Senegal through Cotonou, Benin Republic via Mali to the
Senegal border for prostitution,” Abubakar said.
Preliminary investigations
revealed that most of the girls were school dropouts from Edo and Delta states,
with a few from Imo and Abia states, and two others from Plateau state.
Abubakar noted that of the 24 rescued girls, 22 had been repatriated weeks ago,
and the remaining two were safely repatriated to Nigeria on Saturday.
“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.
He added that the successful
repatriation of the girls to Nigeria highlights the strengthened international
cooperation between the embassy and the Senegalese NGO in combating human
trafficking.
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