NAPTIP rescues four girls trafficked to Mali from Akwa Ibom

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) says it has rescued four girls that were trafficked to Mali from Akwa Ibom state for sexual exploitation.

Emmanuel Awhen, the Uyo zonal commander of NAPTIP,  told NAN that the girls were rescued in collaboration with their partner, Global Anti-human Trafficking Organisation (GAHTO), an agency working in Mali.

He said one of the victims had the phone number of a NAPTIP official and made a call with someone’s phone to inform the officer of their ordeal in Mali.

“Acting on the information, we swung into action and in collaboration with the GAHTO, the four young girls were rescued and reunited with families in Akwa Ibom,” he said.

“The girls were deceived and trafficked to Mali with the guise of them going to work in a supermarket and saloon, but they ended up in forced labour and sexual exploitation.

“Luckily for them, one has our phone number and called through a person’s phone. She also sent numerous voice notes, which we used to connect and repatriate them back to Akwa Ibom using our international partners.”

Awhen said the rescued girls disclosed that more than 50 young girls from the state were in Mali doing prostitution.

The zonal commander added that the agency, in the last one month, had secured conviction of one of the human traffickers, who “recruits” young girls to Mali and Cote’dIvoire for sex slavery.

“It’s noteworthy that same incident happened in Cote’dIvoire, when we received calls from Akwa Ibom girls, who were deceived and trafficked to the country but were forced into prostitution and sexual exploitation,“ he said.

“We used our network to arrest the trafficker involved, she was charged to court and she is currently serving 12 years in prison,” he said.

He appealed to parents and guardians to be mindful of those coming to take their children with the intention for greener pastures, stressing that they might end up in child labour or prostitution.

He solicited support from the state government, well-meaning individuals and organisations in the fight against human trafficking.

The zonal commander urged traffickers to desist from such act, as the state and country were no longer safe for such erroneous crime.

He urged victims of human trafficking, parents and guardians and the general public to reach the agency for help on the following phone numbers; 08069539747, 08023574406 and 08035961835.