The federal government has successfully evacuated 78 Nigerians stranded in Côte d’Ivoire who are victims of human trafficking.
Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced this in a statement issued in Abuja.
The operation was coordinated by the Embassy of Nigeria in Abidjan, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the Nigerian Community in Abidjan, and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), with Air Peace Airlines providing the flight at no cost to the government. The special flight landed at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, around 11 pm on Saturday.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pleased to announce the successful repatriation of 78 Nigerian nationals who were victims of human trafficking from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire,” Ebienfa said. The ministry condemned human trafficking as an inhumane and criminal act that exploits vulnerable individuals, particularly underage girls.
The government praised Dr Allen Onyema, Chairman of Air Peace Airlines, for his patriotic support and called on civil society, international partners, and the public to help eradicate trafficking.
“The Ministry, therefore, wishes to commend Dr Allen Onyema, the Chairman of Air Peace Airlines, for his patriotism and kind-hearted intervention and urge all stakeholders—including civil society, international partners, and the public—to join efforts in eradicating this menace,” Ebienfa stated.
Upon arrival, the returnees will undergo debriefing and profiling by NAPTIP and other agencies. The ministry vowed to collaborate with regional partners to dismantle trafficking networks and prosecute perpetrators, reaffirming its commitment to protecting Nigerians’ dignity and rights at home and abroad. “The Nigerian government remains resolute in its duty to safeguard the dignity and rights of its citizens, both at home and abroad,” Ebienfa added.
The ministry expressed gratitude to the Ivorian authorities and Nigerian agencies for their support in this humanitarian mission.
