The President, Nigerian Community, Cote D?Ivoire, Micheal Emeka Onwuchelu, noted that Nigerian girls are trapped in forests in Cote d?Ivoire, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Mali as gold miners.

Onwuchelu disclosed this on Saturday night when the Nigerian government received 78 out of the 115 victims rescued from the bondage of human trafficking in Cote d?Ivoire.

He explained that many of the girls were subjected to horrific experiences including being forced to marry to farmers, calling on the federal government to pay attention to its female citizens

?I know very well and they know too well. I have sent this message to the appropriate authority that Nigerians, mostly minors, are trapped in Cote d?Ivoire. Where they were trapped is in the forest.

?It?s only in the forest that?s where they mine gold. So I think the federal government of Nigeria will pay serious attention because most of these girls die in this cause,? he said.

He said the exploitation in the gold mining business is rooted in Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Cote d?Ivoire.

?These are the four major countries in West Africa where you know that gold is being mined. So these are the areas where you see them in thousands.

?There is a city, or a camp, that is where you get over 200 Nigerian girls and a greater number of them will be mining over there,? he said.

The 78 victims who returned via Air Peace Airline landed at Terminal 2 of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos included 75 adults and three children. Out of them, 73 were female while two were male.

The returnees were received in Lagos by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Nigerian Community in Cote D?Ivoire.

Speaking about the ordeal of the victims, the representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Regina Ocheni, stressed that some of the rescued victims rescinded their decision to return to Nigeria at the airport.

She emphasised that the ministry in collaboration with the NAPTIP would ensure their return to the country.

?At the point of getting to the airport, some of them had a change of mind. That?s why I said the mission is still working on that and with time we will bring them back to Nigeria,? he said.

She attributed the repatriation to the support of the Ivorian government which helped to return the victims to Nigeria.

The Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, warned the perpetrators involved in human trafficking to desist, revealing that two people involved in this illicit trade had been apprehended.

She appreciated the Air Peace for support to repatriate victims of human trafficking.

?We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to Air Peace Airlines for their generous and patriotic assistance in facilitating the safe return of these victims. Your partnership is a shining example of how the private sector can contribute meaningfully to national efforts,? she said.

The Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema said his airline lost about N400 million due to the long hours of delay to depart from Cote d?Ivoire to Nigeria, citing diplomacy struggles as the cause.

?Well, the airline has lost about N400m. That is a fact. It?s not to be controversial. When we got into Cote d?Ivoire, we kept to the time but a lot of issues, you know, diplomacy across this place is something else in Africa.

?So it?s not a fault of any Nigerian government. It?s not a fault of ours. It is not about the money. The most important thing is that we brought them back alive. We want to reintegrate them into society,? he said.

He reiterated his commitment to support the country, saying the medical provisions of the returnees would be catered for.

?I have already enrolled all of them at the Duchess Hospital,? he said.

He credited the successful repatriation of the returnees to the tip off by social media activist, Martin Otse popularly known as VeryDarkMan, saying he exposed the atrocities and the victims. (Daily Trust)

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