Nigerian Authorities Bring Home 41 Trafficking Girl Victms From Mali

Forty-one victims of human trafficking were deported from Mali to home country Nigeria on Monday. All are Nigerian girls and have been taken to Europe through road and sea routes.

The girls arrived at about 7:25 p.m. at the Nigerian Air Force Hanger wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos boarded on a military transport aircraft, the Hercules C139 bearing registration number as Nigerian Air Force 913.

According to immigration sources the girls were evacuated from Milan capital Bamako and deportation was the joint effort of Ministry of Defence, Nigerian Air Force, Office of the Senior Assistant to the President on Diaspora, and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

Hon Abika Dabiri-Erewa, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora, said the returning home of the 41 Nigerian girls was part of President Buhari’s directive.

Erewa urged the girls to make best use of their lives and also praised the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Air Staff for approving the aircraft.

She added, “NAPTIP will rehabilitate them, we have commenced profiling of the girls. We call on Non-governmental Organizations to join us in tackling this problem.”

She continued all the girls who have returned back have come with stories of woes and lamentation.

Six suspects have been arrested too related to the trafficking and have been handed over to security agencies for prosecution.

All the girls will be monitored for two years.

There are still more girls trapped outside Nigeria and more need to be done to bring back home.