The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued eight victims and arrested two suspected traffickers in Kano State.
Mr Abdullahi Babale, Commander of the Kano Zonal Command, confirmed this in an interview on Friday, noting that operatives intercepted the victims on Oct. 1 at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport.
He explained that preliminary findings showed the victims were to be trafficked to Saudi Arabia for labour exploitation by two Ghanaian nationals suspected to be part of a human trafficking syndicate.
Six of the victims reportedly had one-way tickets to Saudi Arabia. Babale said one suspect was in custody, while the other remained at large.
The victims, aged between 18 and 43 years, were from Kano, Katsina, Bauchi and Kaduna States.
Babale further disclosed that two other women, earlier trafficked from Kano to Burkina Faso for sexual exploitation on July 24, had also been rescued. A 30-year-old suspect was arrested in Kano in connection with the case, while her sister, said to be based in Burkina Faso, was implicated in the trafficking network.
“The suspect was arrested in Kano, and the victims were rescued and brought back to Kano via Lagos by road,” he said, adding that the suspects would be prosecuted after investigations.
He noted that the victims would undergo counselling and rehabilitation before being reunited with their families in line with NAPTIP’s victim-centred approach.
Babale urged parents to remain vigilant and protect their children from traffickers, who often exploit economic hardship with false promises of opportunities abroad. He also called on the public to report suspicious movements linked to human trafficking.
(NAN)