Minister of Women Affairs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye announced that the Federal Government has initiated an investigation into a viral video showing 10 Nigerian teenagers trafficked to Ghana for prostitution. Among the victims, three girls, aged between 15 and 16, were reported to be siblings. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDO), confirmed that the girls were rescued following a tip-off from NIDO’s Ghana chapter.
In a related statement, Kennedy-Ohanenye warned hotel owners against accommodating underage girls in their establishments, promising strict sanctions for any violations. She announced this during the ‘Unlock Training and Grants’ ceremony in Abuja, organized by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational, and Entrepreneurship Education, Abiola Arogundade, where 200 young entrepreneurs received N100 million in grants.
The minister emphasized, “From June 20th, hotels are directed to display a sign from the Ministry of Women Affairs: ‘No lodging of underage girls.’ The consequences of non-compliance will be severe, especially in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).”
Kennedy-Ohanenye also highlighted the broader issue of women’s suffering in Nigeria and the need to alleviate poverty, saying, “Women are suffering in this country. Today, we have talked about the need to allow the poor to breathe.”
Addressing the situation of the trafficked girls, she stated, “You may have seen the video of our girls taken to Ghana. Action will start on Monday. You will hear about our steps first thing on Monday morning. This is my top priority, and I will see what we can do about it.”
