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Ministry announces return of 115 Nigerians trafficked to Ivory Coast today - PUNCH
BY Olugbenga Ige
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the repatriation of 115 Nigerian nationals from Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, made this known in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja.
According to the statement, the ministry noted that the returnees will arrive in Lagos by a special flight at 3 pm Nigerian time at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos State.
The statement reads, “The Ministry wishes to inform that one hundred and fifteen (115) Nigerian nationals that are victims of trafficking will be repatriated from Abidjan, Ivory Coast to Nigeria today via a special flight operated by Air Peace at no cost to the Nigerian Government.
“The estimated time of arrival is 3 pm Nigerian time at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.”
Recall that the airport Chairman of the Air Peace Group, Allen Onyema, had promised to bring back underage girls trafficked to Ivory Coast free of charge.
In a statement on the company’s X handle, Onyema called for collective efforts to discourage trafficking, emphasising its inhumane and ungodly nature.
He expressed deep concern and condemnation over the recent discovery of Nigerian underage girls trafficked to the Ivory Coast.
He had said, We should discourage trafficking of any kind. It is inhumane and callous. It is ungodly and a good example of man’s inhumanity to man. We, at Air Peace, are ready to bring our fellow citizens back home free of charge.
“Besides that, we will send all of them to Duchess International Hospital in Ikeja for free medical examination and treatment.
“While we implore the Nigerian Embassy in Cote D’Ivoire to assemble them and reach out to us, we equally call on the Federal Government to take charge of their education while reuniting them with their families.”
