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NiDCOM receives 13 trafficked Nigerians rescued from Ghana, Mali

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The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has received 13 trafficked Nigerians, including 12 girls and a five-year-old boy who were rescued from human trafficking rings in Ghana and Mali, according to a statement released on Sunday.

The rescue operation saw 11 of the victims returned from Ghana, while two women were repatriated from Mali, as revealed in a press release signed by NiDCOM’s Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, Abdur-Rahman Balogun.

The 11 girls rescued from Ghana, aged between 16 and 30, are from Cross River (4), Benue (4), Imo (1), and Oyo (1) states. The two women rescued from Mali, aged 27 and 35, are from Adamawa State.

Speaking on behalf of NiDCOM Chairperson Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Mr. Dipo Odebowale, Head of the Commission’s Lagos Liaison Office, disclosed that the victims had been lured with false promises of employment, only to be forced into prostitution in Ghana.

He said the traffickers exploited the victims’ vulnerability under the guise of better opportunities abroad.

The two women rescued from Mali shared harrowing accounts of sexual abuse, physical assault, and emotional trauma with NiDCOM officials, including Head of Media and Public Relations, Abdur-Rahman Balogun.

Dabiri-Erewa reaffirmed NiDCOM’s commitment to working with the victims’ respective state governments to ensure rehabilitation, reintegration, and psychological support.

She also called for stringent legal action against traffickers and urged greater efforts to publicly expose trafficking networks operating across West Africa.

The victims have since been handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for profiling, counseling, and further support.

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Alleged Land Grabbing: We have enough evidence to investigate monarch- Delta govt

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The Delta State government said it has gotten enough evidence from protesters that would help in its investigation of alleged land grabbing by the traditional ruler of Owa Kingdom, Obi, Emmanuel Efeizomor.

The Special Adviser to the State Governor on Peace Building and Conflict Resolution, Edwin Uzor, leading the inquiry process, confirmed he has received evidential testimonies from some of the aggrieved persons; majority of whom are widows.

While addressing Owa-Oyibu Development Initiative, ADI, which had earlier protested over the matter but soft-pedalled following appeal by the leadership of the State House of Assembly, he said his office has commenced investigative inquiry into the matter.

He assured that the state government would speed up investigation with a view to resolving the crisis and come up with a peaceful resolution.

While enjoining the aggrieved parties to sheath their swords, he assured that the state government would get to the root of the matter. He said the administration of Hon Sheriff Oborevwori was irrevocably committed to ensuring that no Deltan is victimized by anyone on the account of his or her financial or social status.

He enjoined the youths in the community to give the state government the benefits of the doubts by remaining peaceful and calm.

Addressing the over hundred persons, all of whom are indigenes of Owa Kingdom, Uzor said, “we have gotten enough evidence from you that would help us in our investigation process.

“I want to commend you for your peaceful disposition so far. Meanwhile, we wish to appeal that you continue to maintain the existing peace even as we continue in our investigation”.

However, Chairman, Owa-Oyibu Development Initiative, Ogha-ni-ihun Oyibu, Benson Nkeki said the group had decided to embark on a wide protest against the monarch and the palace over alleged high-handedness, bothering largely on land grabbing and forcefully dispossessing land owners of their lands under false pretense.

He said the meeting was an aftermath of the group’s protest on the alleged land grabbing by the traditional ruler of Owa Kingdom, Obi Emmanuel Efeizomor.

Nkeki assured that following the intervention by the state government vis-a-vis the ongoing investigative inquiry into the allegation, the group is committed to giving the state government the benefits of the doubts.

“As law abiding citizens, we are prepared to give the state government the benefit of the doubts. If things are not done the way it should, we will continue with our protest even to the National Assembly level and beyond” Nkeki said.

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Ghana Deports Nigerian Convicted for Smuggling Fake $100,000

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A Ghanaian court has ordered the deportation of Nigerian Aremu Adegboyega after convicting him for smuggling counterfeit CFA francs worth over $100,000 through an illegal border route.

Arrested in 2023 at the Aflao border, he was fined GH¢4,440 or faces up to two years in prison if he defaults.

Adegboyega admitted receiving the fake notes from a Nigerian contact on instructions from a suspected mafia figure in Côte d’Ivoire.

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‘Benue most underdeveloped state I’ve visited’ – Verydarkman

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Controversial social media personality, Verydarkman, has stirred reactions online after describing Benue State as the most underdeveloped state he has ever visited.

In a viral video shared after a recent visit to the state, the influencer claimed, “Benue is still in the year 1940. It is the most underdeveloped state I have ever been to.”

He went on to lament the state of infrastructure and insecurity in the region, saying investors are discouraged from coming due to deplorable road conditions and safety concerns.

“Investors can’t come because of bad roads and insecurity.

“I’m currently drilling a borehole in Yelwata, but the people can’t continue the work because they are afraid of being killed,” he said.

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