Chiefs Onwuchelu, Ogbu call on Federal, Delta Govt to rescue Nigerian girls from danger

President of the Nigerian Community in Cote d’Ivoire, Chief Michael Emeka Onwuchelu has once again call on the federal government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to please come to the rescue of Nigerian girls in Cote d’Ivoire who are in danger.

He made the call when reports got to him that some girls were being murdered by some criminals when they had disagreement over money while prostituting.

Chief Onwuchelu who was sad when he heard the news said they will not leave any stone unturned to apprehend those behind the wicked acts while also calling on the federal government to come to their aids.

He said, “We are saddened by this news and we would do everything humanly possible to bring the criminals to book. Recalled that we have also been doing a lot to rescue the girls that were being trafficked into the country. We are aware that some of them were lured into prostitution hence we are trying to see how we can rescue them. So far, we have repatriated 1,280 young girls back to Nigeria and reconcile them with their parents and family members.”

On their challenges, Chief Onwuchelu said, “We are spending so much on monthly basis for payment of rent where the girls are kept before repatriation (300,000f equivalent to N855,000 depending on exchange rate). We also feed them on daily basis, clothe those who escaped without their belongings. We also spend so much on transport fare. These are costing us millions of cfa hence we are using this opportunity to call on the federal government and other well-meaning Nigerians to support this fight. For instance, movement from Abidjan to Nigeria is about 45,000f per person. We are calling on the federal government of Nigeria because some of the traffickers are very influential hence they are difficult to apprehend and some of them are even working with the villagers where they operate.”

Also not happy with the situation is the President of the Delta Community, Chief David Ogbu. Chief Ogbu who broke the sad news said the girls murdered were mainly Urhobo girls.

According to him, “Parents have to be very careful and be interested where their children are because there are child predators everywhere and most of these people are hell-bent to destroy the lives of our young girls. Many people have died, many Urhobo girls were murdered in Cote d’Ivoire recently. Some of them were taken into the forest; imagine taking a 10 to 13 years old girls into the forest, where they know nobody, and these children will be deflowered.

“Then some of them will be pregnant, they will abort it and in the process lose their lives. The Madams virtually don’t care; we have had a case whereby a Madam had more than 37 girls under her custody. Many of the girls are minors below the age of 12 years, so we are calling on the government of Delta State led by Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori to please come to our aids,” he noted.

Chief Ogbu further revealed that the girls mainly from Delta State are causing them serious embarrassment and the Cote d’Ivoire Government is happy with the situation on ground.

He said, “We are calling on the Governor of Delta State, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori for him to intervene in this situation because it is causing us serious embarrassment. The case is becoming too shameful; an average of 10 Delta girls is trafficked on a weekly basis. Our hands are tied, we have spent so much repatriating these girls and the more you send them back home, the more another sets are coming. We have done all we can, we have counselled and repatriated so many of them but there is no follow-up from the State, so we want the government to support us in this fight.

“The rate at which the girls are being trafficked into Cote d’Ivoire is becoming so alarming that the government of this country (Cote d’Ivoire) is worried. Even if the Governor wants to send a delegate to Cote d’Ivoire to come and see things for themselves, we are ready to receive them. We want to show them the kinds of risks our daughters are facing here and we want them to make provisions so that when these girls are rescued, we will be able to send them home.

“Delta State can also borrow a leaf from Benue State. They quickly swung into action when their girls were rescued from Cote d’Ivoire and repatriated them to Nigeria and then to Benue. They rehabilitate them, give them skill acquisition while those who want to go back to schools were given scholarships. Delta State with the enormous resources can do more than that. We know that the government is doing well for the youth in the area of sports, let them also look into other areas because our youths are the future of tomorrow,” Chief Ogbu noted.

Chief Ogbu who is also the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Community in Cote d’Ivoire concluded by calling on Governor Oborevwori to collaborate with them so as to make things easy for them. “We have been using our money, the little resources on us to do most of the things for these girls. We feed them, buy drugs for the sick ones, and some of them escaped without their belongings, hence we buy clothes for them. We also use our money to send them back to Nigeria. The burden is too much on us hence we need government to come to our aids. This is the time for the State Government to collaborate and cooperate with us,” he said.

Chief David Ogbu , President of Delta State Community in Cote d’Ivoire