Nigeria’s foremost airline, Air Peace, has committed to evacuating Nigerian underage girls who were recently found to have been trafficked to Ivory Coast, in response to the uproar created by prominent activist VeryDarkMan.
Allen Onyema, the airline’s chairman, announced this initiative in a press release, denouncing the trafficking of young girls and urging for a united effort to combat this issue.
“We should discourage trafficking of any kind. It is inhumane and callous. It is absolutely ungodly and a good example of man’s inhumanity to man,” Onyema stated.
Offering a lifeline to the victims, Onyema said Air Peace would provide free flights to bring the trafficked girls back home to Nigeria. In addition to their repatriation, he revealed plans to support the girls’ recovery and reintegration.
“Besides that, we are going to send all of them to Duchess International Hospital in Ikeja for free medical examination and treatment,” he added.
The Air Peace boss called on the Nigerian Embassy in Côte d’Ivoire to identify and gather the victims, urging officials to collaborate with the airline for swift transportation. He also appealed to the Federal Government to take full responsibility for the victims’ rehabilitation and education.
“While we implore the Nigerian Embassy in Cote D’Ivoire to assemble them and reach out to us, we equally call on the Federal Government to take charge of their education while reuniting them with their families,” Onyema emphasised.