Connect with us

News

10,000 Nigerian Girls Forced Into Prostitution In Burkina Faso – Ambassador

Published

on

10,000 Nigerian Girls Forced Into Prostitution In Burkina Faso – Ambassador

The Nigerian Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Ramatu Ahmed, says no fewer than 10,000 Nigerian girls are forced into prostitution in Burkina Faso.

Ahmed disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) in Ouagadougou on Monday

She said the victims of the sex-trade were mainly underage girls kept in appalling conditions in Ouagadougou and in mining camps across the West African country.

Ahmed, who has been in Burkina Faso since August 2017, said that over 200 Nigerian girls had been voluntarily repatriated this year.

According to the Ambassador, many of the girls, who were promised jobs in the country and Europe by the human traffickers, are not willing to return home.

“The spate of human trafficking here in Burkina Faso is a big concern to the embassy because at present, we have nothing less than 10,00 Nigerian girls who have been trafficked into Burkina Faso as commercial sex workers.

“And most of these girls are underage; most left schools and are roaming about doing commercial sex work in Burkina Faso.

“This apart from been a dent to our country, it is also a sort of concern as far as their health is concerned. This is very serious to us and most of the girls who want to go back as a result this voluntary repatriation do it because they were tricked, they did not know the condition there are going to found themselves here.

“For every Nigerian girl that escapes and wants to go back, there are more than 10 in the bush that are willing to carry on,” she said

Ahmed condemned the activities of Nigerian syndicates operating in Burkina Faso, vowing that the embassy will continue to track them down and bring the perpetrators to book in collaboration with the local authorities.

She said the embassy was partnering with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) office in Ouagadougou to assist in the voluntary repatriation of some of the victims of human trafficking.

“Two hundred girls have been repatriated to Nigeria by the embassy, this is apart from the ones that run to the churches, some to other Civil society Organisations (CSOs) and the International Organisations on Migration (IOM).

In fact, the IOM is complaining to the embassy that most its money meant for West Africa is used to repatriate Nigerian girls back home and they are complaining that with time, they would not be able to cope with the number.

“So, if the embassy alone have repatriated 200 girls, you can imagine how many girls the IOM has repatriated and the reason they are complaining,” she said.

Ahmed appealed to Nigerian parents and guardians to monitor their children and wards more closely and not to be swayed by promises of greener pastures abroad.

“I am pleading with Nigerian parents that they should know what their children are doing.

“Most of the girls said that their parents don’t know that they are here and some will tell us that their parents know and some will say that they were sent by either their father, mother, uncle.

“This is problem that emanates from the family. For the girls, I wish to tell them that anybody they see that comes to tell them that he is taking then to somewhere to either be employed as hair dressers or work in the shop, these are human traffickers.

“Anybody that will tell them not work in Nigeria, but to move outside is simply a human trafficker and they should be weary of such persons. she said

NAN reports that the Director General of National Agency for the Prohibtion of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP), Julie Okah Donlie, while briefing the ECOWAS Parliament on the spate of trafficking in West Africa in December 2018 said that 500 girls were trafficked from Nigeria on daily basis.

She said that 20,000 Nigerians girls were also discovered in Mali.

Loading

Continue Reading

Business

FG signs MoU with NIYEIDP to empower youth

Published

on

The Federal Government has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigeria Youth Economic Intervention and De-Radicalisation Programme (NIYEIDP) to advance its commitment to youth empowerment and national development.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Abuja, the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, emphasized that the initiative is designed to provide young Nigerians with economic opportunities, equipping them to create wealth and become employers of labor.

“This agreement demonstrates our collective resolve to empower Nigerian youth, enabling them to be self-reliant and active contributors to the nation’s progress,” the Minister stated.

A statement by the Director of Public Relations, Mrs. Omolara Esan on Friday said the Ministry’s Director of Legal Services, Ernest Ezebilo, explained that the MoU clearly outlines the roles and responsibilities of each party, ensuring effective implementation of the program’s objectives. He highlighted that a key goal of the initiative is to foster entrepreneurship among young people, reducing unemployment and poverty.

“When young people are empowered, they are less likely to engage in social vices such as armed robbery and kidnapping. This, in turn, contributes to national security and stability,” Ezebilo added.

In his remarks, the Coordinator of NIYEIDP, Comrade Kennedy Iyere, described the signing of the MoU as a milestone, noting that it will serve as a guiding framework for the program’s activities in empowering Nigerian youth.

Loading

Continue Reading

Crime

Third Party insurance: Police arrest two suspected armed robbers in Kogi

Published

on

Two suspected armed robbers have been arrested by the Nigeria Police in Kogi State.

The two suspects identified as Mohammed Chelim and Oneh Mohammed were arrested along Harbour Bay-EGUME Road while the Police were conducting the enforcement of Third-Party Insurance in line with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun.

Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO William Ovye Aya, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday, said two locally made pistols were recovered from the suspects.


According to the statement “Upon interrogation, the suspects failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for their movements. A subsequent search led to the recovery of a locally made pistol in their possession.

“Commending the Officers for their vigilance and commitment to duty, the Commissioner of Police, CP Miller Dantawaye, reassured the people of Kogi State that the Command remains resolute in collaborating with other security agencies to rid the State of criminal elements”.

Aya further urged residents to continue supporting security efforts by providing credible information on criminal activities in Kogi State.

Loading

Continue Reading

Headline

Big Lie, We Never Said JSS, SSS Education System Will Be Scrapped -FG Clarifies

Published

on

By Augustine Akhilomen

The Ministry of Education has distanced itself from reports circulating in the media that the ministry is aiming at scrapping the Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary School (SSS). educational structure in the country.

Recall that on Thursday several media outlets had suggested that a new policy aimed at scrapping the Junior and Senior Secondary School system was already in effect, with the introduction of a 12-year basic education system.

However, the ministry in a statement issued by the Director of Press at the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo on Friday, stated that reports of an immediate policy change on the matter were untrue.

“The attention of the Federal Ministry of Education has been drawn to misleading reports suggesting that the Federal Government has scrapped Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary School (SSS) and replaced them with a new 12-year uninterrupted basic education model. We wish to categorically state that this is not true,” the statement issued on Friday read.

“The proposal seeks to migrate to 12 years of compulsory education while retaining the current 6-3-3 structure,” the ministry said.

The ministry said there will be deliberations with stakeholders before a final decision on the proposal is made.

It said, “The final decision on whether to adopt this reform will be made at the October 2025 National Council on Education Meeting.

“The Ministry urges the public to disregard the false claim that JSS and SSS have been scrapped. The Federal Government remains committed to policies that enhance access to quality education while aligning with global best practices,” the ministry’s statement read.

Loading

Continue Reading

Recent Posts




JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

Trending