The Chairman of Nigerian airline Air Peace, Dr Allen Onyema, has expressed his profound concern and condemnation following the reported discovery of a large number of underaged Nigerian girls trafficked to Côte d’Ivoire.
In a statement personally signed and released to journalists on Saturday, Dr. Onyema pledged that his airline would ensure the safe return of the girls to Nigeria from the West African nation, free of charge.
The issue came to light after Martins Otse, a Nigerian social media influencer known as VeryDarkMan, claimed on Thursday that as many as 1,200 underaged Nigerian girls were being held in Côte d’Ivoire in conditions of trafficking. The influencer had also issued a one-week ultimatum to the Chairman of the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri, demanding the girls’ repatriation.
Footage circulating online reportedly showed the influencer attempting to comfort distressed young Nigerian girls speaking in the Hausa language.
Dr. Onyema, in his statement, called for a concerted effort to combat human trafficking, emphasizing its “inhumane and callous” nature, describing it as “absolutely ungodly and a good example of man’s inhumanity to man.”
The Air Peace Chairman offered immediate assistance upon the girls’ return to Nigeria, stating: “We at Air Peace are ready to bring our fellow citizens back home free of charge. Besides that, we are going to send all of them to Duchess International Hospital in Ikeja for free medical examination and treatment.”
He further urged the Nigerian Embassy in Côte d’Ivoire to facilitate the assembly of the girls and reach out to Air Peace. Dr. Onyema also called on the Nigerian Federal Government to take responsibility for the girls’ education and their reunification with their families.
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