THE Federal Government has secured the release of six Nigerian women who were wrongfully detained by authorities in Cape Verde on unfounded allegations of human trafficking.
Their release was confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, April 17, and Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), shortly after the women departed the island nation.
According to a statement by the Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the Nigerian diplomatic mission in Guinea-Bissau intervened and actively engaged Cape Verdean authorities to ensure the safe return of the women.
The ministry noted that the six Nigerians had travelled to Cape Verde on a holiday trip but were wrongly profiled and accused of human trafficking allegations that were later found to be untrue.
The ministry appreciated the cooperation of the Cape Verdean government in resolving the issue and reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Nigerian citizens abroad.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to happily inform you that the Nigerian nationals, ladies, who were detained in Cape Verde have all been released and have left the country, too.
“The ministry engaged Cape Verde authorities via our Mission in Guinea-Bissau to secure their release. The six ladies travelled to Cape Verde for a holiday and were unfortunately detained on allegations of trafficking, which turned out to be false,” the statement read.
Background
The arrest of the Nigerian women gained attention after an X user, Tobiojenike, raised an alarm over their detention.
The user alleged that the detainees were being held in a small room, denied legal access, and assaulted by police officers.
The post further claimed the authorities were trying to covertly deport them while coercing another individual to falsely implicate them.
“The Cape Verde government is trying to sneak them out of the country that they legally came into! And trying to pin them as human traffickers with the aid of a random stranger who’s seeking greener pastures and has been convinced to agree to it!.
“They’ve been detained in a small room for days and attacked by policemen who have inflicted wounds on my friend. The ECOWAS is aware of this and is doing nothing!” she wrote.
In response, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission issued a statement appealing to Cape Verde to return the women to Nigeria and treat them with dignity.
“They were accused of not having enough funds, and their phones confiscated. They were subsequently locked up in an immigration deportation camp at the airport.
“Reports from the immigration detention centre indicate that they are going through distress and trauma, with one of them having a medical condition without access to his drugs,” NIDCOM said in an April 16 statement signed by its Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun.
The NIDCOM also disclosed that the six individuals, identified as David James Udoh, Lily Dada, Oghenero Adaware, Sherifat Abimbola Ogundairo, and Jesutomi Aina, had departed from Senegal to Cape Verde via a travel agency, Ìrìn Travels (@irintravels) and @theFARAWAY.
The Commission expressed concern over their deteriorating condition, noting that one of them was being denied access to vital medication.
It noted that the case was subsequently escalated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its consular and migration directorate, prompting diplomatic efforts that led to the women’s eventual release.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M