From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has successfully facilitated the return of a trafficked woman, Omowunmi Rhoda Aladeboyeje, who was rescued from Cairo, Egypt.
NICOM Chairman/CEO Abike Dabiri-Erewa was represented by Mr Ayo Okuribido who led a delegation of NIDCOM staff to receive Aladeboyeje at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Lagos in the early hours of Saturday.
In a statement by the Head, NIDCOM Media and Public Relations Unit, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the CEO thanked the Nigerian mission in Cairo for their prompt intervention.
Rhoda was profiled by Immigration officials on her return and handed over to NAPTIP in the presence of a representative of the family, Engr Benjamin Akinbobola.
She said Rhoda’s story is the same as that of many victims lured abroad under the guise of securing them a job.
She restated her appeals to Nigerians, especially youths trooping out of the country in search of greener pastures, insisting that traffickers must be arrested, named, shamed and punished for their exploitation.
Dabiri-Erewa thanked God that Rhoda had made it back to Nigeria alive and urged her not to be tempted to embark on such a journey again.
Rhoda, 35, arrived in Nigeria on Saturday at 4:50 am via Royal Air Maroc.
She was trafficked on March 17 and claimed to have been sexually harassed on a regular basis, beaten frequently and home imprisoned sometimes.
Rhoda, a mother of four, was trafficked by her immediate elder brother who claimed there was a nursing job opportunity in America.
However, going to America turned out to be a ruse. She was trafficked to Egypt and reportedly went through so much torture and hell. When a distress call from her family member was received by NIDCOM, the Nigerian mission in Cairo was contacted immediately to put all logistics in place to facilitate her return.
With that done, and with Rhoda in the safe custody of the mission, her family made provisions for her ticket home.
An auxiliary nurse by profession, Rhoda is presently on her way to her home town Okitipupa in Ondo State.
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