BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
The Ebonyi State Government has placed a 13-year-old girl, who was repatriated to Nigeria from Burkina Faso, on scholarship up to university level.
The girl (name withheld), who is from Ibiam Inyimagu community in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, was reportedly rescued from traffickers in Burkina Faso.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development in Ebonyi, Chinwe Okah, made the disclosure in an interaction with The Point in Abakaliki, the state capital, on Monday.
Okay said, “The girl told us that the first person that took her from her village in Ebonyi promised to sponsor her education. The second did same but both failed. Instead, she took her to Burkina Faso for prostitution. We shall let her enjoy education.
“According to her, her supposed boss in Burkina Faso told her the true situation of things; that she was sold to her for N150,000, and she can only be free after having made N1million plus for her, hence her tactical escape.
“We, as a government under David Umahi’s administration, are taking up the sponsorship of her education up to university level because we have noticed that she is very intelligent. Such brain should be put at progressive work. The brilliance with which she escaped from those traffickers is great.
“Some of the trafficking syndicates were already arrested and shall be charged to court as soon as investigation are over.”
