Group Warns Of Trafficking Syndicates Targeting Teen Girls
A Non-Governmental Organization, Emmanuel World Children Foundation, has raised an alarm over the operations of organized syndicates specialized in trafficking young girls for sexual exploitation.
The NGO raised the alarm in Asaba during their support-group meeting with survivors of girls trafficked to Senegal and other African countries for exploitative labor and sexual abuse.
The Executive Director of the NGO, Mr. Emmanuel Adaramola, said 61 girls, including three babies, have been rescued from the grip of traffickers between November 2022 and June 2023 through concerted efforts, adding that those rescued were from Edo, Delta, Taraba, Anambra, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Abuja, Rivers, Ekiti, and Lagos states.
He said that his organization, collaborating with its foreign partners, rescued the survivors, counseled them, and made far-reaching efforts to empower them with skills for self-reliance before reintegrating them into society.
‘’Today, there are more than 15,000 Nigerians in Senegal, and many of the victims were deceived. They deceived them with false job opportunities with fat salaries. In Mali, we have about 16,000 Nigerians there. Same thing happens in Ghana, Gambia, and Libya.
‘’So, we use this opportunity of our meeting here in Asaba to let people know there are many syndicates deceiving young and innocent girls. They are widespread and with strong connections across the country and beyond.
‘’In Cross River, for example, someone took a girl from one of the villages to Calabar and handed her over to another person. From Calabar, another person takes the victim and hands her over to someone in Lagos. From Lagos, another person takes the victim to Benin Republic; another takes from there to Ghana, and from Ghana to Senegal.
‘’Many times, it becomes difficult to get the real culprits. Therefore, we want the public to know of this evil trend. Now, they target girls between 10 to 14 years old; girls in primary and secondary schools.
‘’From the experiences of survivors, we do not wish for anyone to fall into that trap. Some people have lost their lives in the process while their families are still optimistic that they might return someday,’’ Adaramola said.
Some of the survivors who spoke with our correspondent on conditions of anonymity recalled how they were tricked to Senegal for greener pastures only to be lured into prostitution by their patrons.
They warned young girls not to listen to or entertain the sweet promises of those who promise them mouthwatering job opportunities abroad, even as they urged them to concentrate on their education, get a skill or a job, and earn a living in Nigeria.
Photo Credit: PM News