The Cross River State Police Command has rescued four teenage girls allegedly targeted by suspected human traffickers in Ogoja Local Government Area of the state.
Two of the rescued girls, identified as Victoria, 16, and Comfort, 17, were reportedly trafficked from Ogoja to Ivory Coast after being lured with promises of better opportunities abroad.
Upon arrival in the West African country, the teenagers were allegedly subjected to exploitation, physical abuse and other difficult conditions.
Police officers attached to the Ogoja Divisional Headquarters reportedly intervened in the case and facilitated the return of the two girls to Nigeria.
In a separate operation, the command also intercepted two other teenage girls who were allegedly being transported from Ogoja through Lagos to Ivory Coast. Their interception reportedly prevented the suspected traffickers from taking them out of the country.
The development has again drawn attention to the activities of human traffickers who prey on young people with promises of lucrative employment, improved living conditions and better opportunities abroad.
Receiving the rescued girls, the wife of the Ogoja Local Council chairman, Mrs Christy Asari Agbeh, condemned child trafficking and described it as a crime that exposes children to exploitation and threatens their future.
Agbeh commended the police for rescuing the teenagers and directed that the two girls who were repatriated from Ivory Coast be taken to the General Hospital, Ogoja, for medical examination as part of efforts towards their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
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She urged parents, guardians, traditional rulers, religious leaders and community members to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements involving children to security agencies.
She also advised young people to properly verify overseas employment offers before accepting them, warning against falling victim to deceptive promises of better opportunities abroad.
Meanwhile, the Abia State Police Command has a new Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, who has assumed duty following the redeployment of his predecessor, Danladi Isa.
Isa was recently promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police and redeployed to the Force Headquarters, Kaduna Annex.
Speaking after taking over, Afolabi pledged to strengthen security in Abia and build on the achievements recorded by his predecessor.
The new commissioner, who previously served as Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, said he would use his intelligence background to improve security operations across the state.
He also promised to strengthen engagement with communities and stakeholders, improve information gathering, enhance the capacity of police personnel and promote their welfare.
Afolabi urged residents of Abia to cooperate with the police by providing credible information that could help prevent crime and sustain peace across the state.
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