By Nkechi Eze
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has commended the Achimota Circuit Court in Ghana for delivering justice in the case of a Nigerian human trafficking ring leader, Chukwudi Nwachukwu, who was sentenced to ten years imprisonment with hard labour.
The verdict, delivered by Her Honour Mrs. Akosua Anokyewaa Adjepong, follows months of painstaking investigations and surveillance carried out by Ghanaian security agencies in collaboration with the Nigerians in Diaspora Organization (NIDO), Ghana Chapter, and the Nigerian High Commission in Accra.
It will be recalled that earlier this year, ten young Nigerian girls, aged between 15 and 18, were rescued from the trafficking syndicate through the joint efforts of NIDO Ghana, led by its Board Chairman, Chief Callistus Elozieuwa, the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana, and security operatives. The victims were later brought back to Nigeria courtesy of NiDCOM under the leadership of Hon. Dabiri-Erewa, in collaboration with a delegation from the Imo State Government led by the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Amara Chyna Iwuanyanwu, representing Nwangele Constituency.
In a statement issued by Gabriel Odu of the Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit of NiDCOM, Dabiri-Erewa described the judgment as “justice served at last,” noting that the conviction reflects the growing cooperation between Nigerian and Ghanaian authorities in tackling cross-border human trafficking.
The court also ordered the convict to pay GH₵15,000 in restitution to each of the ten victims. Investigations revealed that Nwachukwu had lured the girls to Ghana under false pretenses before coercing them into prostitution.
Hon. Dabiri-Erewa commended the Ghanaian judiciary for ensuring that justice prevailed, while also appreciating NIDO Ghana and the Nigerian High Commission for their swift intervention and sustained advocacy. She confirmed that the ten rescued victims have since been handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), where they have undergone rehabilitation and been successfully reunited with their families.
Reiterating her call for vigilance, Dabiri-Erewa urged parents and guardians to pay closer attention to the movement and activities of their wards to prevent them from falling prey to traffickers. She emphasized that every trafficker, no matter how long it takes, would be brought to justice.
