NAPTIP rescues 104 victims of human trafficking, arrests eight suspects

Juliana Francis

Muhammed

Operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have arrested eight suspects for human trafficking and rescued 104 victims.

This was disclosed by the Director General of the Agency, Senator Basheer Garba Muhammed on Tuesday. Muhammed disclosed this in Abuja while speaking on the Agency’s renewed offensive against human traffickers across the country.

According to him, the victims were intercepted and rescued on their way to Europe enroute Libya.

He stated that the eight suspects were arrested in the process of moving the victims. This was just as efforts are on to apprehend other members of the trafficking syndicates still at large.

It would be recalled that the DG had given the Regional Directors, Zonal Commanders and State Commanders a matching order on effective surveillance within their areas of operation in order to forestall recruitment and trafficking of any Nigerians for any purpose.

He also tasked them on the need to scale up their sensitization and awareness activities in order to reduce the vulnerability of the people and expose the antics of human traffickers.

He said: “The enhanced operations of the Agency have continued to yield favourably as no fewer than 104 victims of human trafficking have been rescued and eight suspected traffickers nabbed by the Agency in collaboration with other sister agencies. The figure includes the rescue of 80 victims in Kano two weeks ago on their way to Libya, and the latest figure of 19 victims rescued in Kano a few days ago.”

The NAPTIP boss further noted: “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. No matter where the traffickers go to deceive and recruit victims, they will always meet us at the exit point. Their field days in the illicit business of human trafficking and child labour are over. We are determined to run them out of business and even send them to jail unless they desist from their nefarious activities and find other legitimate ventures to engage in. I wish to appeal to parents to desist from giving out their children for any unclear or unverified adventure. It is important to contact NAPTIP when confronted with a juicy offer of help that entails taking your children abroad. Do not sell your children into slavery.”

He commended other sister law enforcement agencies for their collaboration, leading to the arrest of the suspects and the rescue of the victims.