The Director General of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Mr Basheer Garba-Mohammed, on Monday, said the agency apprehended four suspected human traffickers and rescued 19 victims.
Garba-Mohammed, represented by the Kano Zonal Commander, Mr Abdullahi Babale, said this while briefing newsmen in Kano.
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He said the four suspected traffickers are men, while the rescued victims are girls and women between the ages of 14 years and 29 years.
“The agency received an intelligence report that the suspects harboured the victims in their house in Jigawa State before moving them in batches to Niger Republic.
“The victims were on transit from Ondo, Ekiti, Delta, Anambra, Edo, Osun, Kogi, Akwa Ibom, Kwara, Ogun and Lagos states enroute to Rivers, Oyo, Osun, Delta and Ogun states then to Euroupe via Libya.
“On receiving the information, a special operation was coordinated by NAPTIP Joint Border Task Force in collaboration with Katsina State Police Command and the 19 victims were rescued on Aug.18.’’
Garba-Mohammed also said the agency rescued five victims of child labour and arrested two suspects.
According to him, the victims are five girls between the ages of 10 and 11.
He said on Aug.11, the agency received information that the victims were on transit from Bareruwan Daji Village in Katsina State enroute Kaduna via Kano.
“On receiving the information, a special operation was coordinated by the agency and the victims were rescued and two female suspects were arrested.’’
He called on parents to protect their children from being exploited and lured into slavery in the name of seeking greener pastures.
The director-general commended Katsina State Police Command for its support.
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