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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Chairman/CEO Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa has commended the Achimota Circuit Court in Ghana for its landmark judgment sentencing Nigerian human trafficking ring leader, Chukwudi Nwachukwu, to 10 years in prison with hard labour. The sentencing follows months of thorough investigations and surveillance.
Presided over by Akosua Anokyewaa Adjepong, the court also ordered Nwachukwu to pay restitution of GHc15,000 to each of the ten victims, all Nigerian girls aged between 15 and 18, who were trafficked to Ghana and coerced into prostitution.
Early this year, the ten girls were rescued through a collaborative effort involving the Nigerians in Diaspora Organization (NIDO, Ghana Chapter), led by Board Chairman Callistus Elozieuwa, the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana, and Ghanaian security agencies. The girls were safely repatriated to Nigeria with support from the (NiDCOM), alongside a delegation from Imo State, led by Deputy Speaker Amar Iwuanyanwu.
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In a statement issued by Gabriel Odu of NiDCOM’s Media Unit, Dabiri-Erewa said, “Justice has been served at last.” She praised the court’s verdict and reiterated the commitment to bringing traffickers to justice, no matter how long it takes.
She further urged parents and guardians to be vigilant about the upbringing and whereabouts of their children to prevent such abuses.
The rescued girls have been fully reintegrated and reunited with their families through the efforts of Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
