Police storm hideout, rescue seven victims of human trafficking

Juliana Francis

The Katsina Police Command, today, announced that it has rescued four women and three men, believed to be victims of human trafficking.

The spokesman of the command, a Superintendent of Police (SP), Gambo Isah, explained that on January 20, at 11:20am, based on credible intelligence, the Command raided a criminal hideout at Yankara village, Koza District, Mai’adua Local Government Area of Katsina State and rescued victims allegedly being held captive in the house.

The victims have been identified as Success Oshoopkeme, (20), from Edo State, Isaac Debora (20), from Abia State, Amoruwa Ade (28), from Ondo State, James Rebecca (20), from Niger State, Emmanuel Godwin (22), from Delta State, Zainab Tijjani, 21, from Oyo State and Taofik Olawale (27), from Oyo State.

Isah stated that in the course of investigation, victims explained that that they were brought to the village by their agent, who on sighting the police team, took to his heels and escaped with their GSM phones. 

They further stated that they were en-route from Nigeria to Libya, through the Niger Republic border. “Investigation is ongoing.  They will be handed over to National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) office, Kano State, for further investigation and arrest of the traffickers,” said Isah.

In another development, Isah has revealed how the command repelled bandits’ attacks on Fadimawa village, Kurfi Local Government Area on January 27, at 1: am.

He said: “Terrorist-bandits in their numbers, attacked Fadimawa village, Kurfi LGA and rustled unspecified number of domestic animals.  The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Kurfi Police Station, led a team of policemen to the scene and engaged the terrorists in a fierce gun duel.  The operational strategy and gallantry displayed by the team made them to overpower the hoodlums and recovered all the stolen animals. Many of the terrorists escaped with bullet injuries. Search parties are still combing nearby bushes with a view to arresting the hoodlums and recovering their dead bodies.  Investigation is ongoing.”