The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) says it has rescued eight victims of human trafficking and arrested two suspected traffickers in Kano state.
Abdullahi Babale, commander of the agency’s Kano zonal office, told NAN in an interview om Friday that the victims, all women aged between 18 and 43, were intercepted on October 1 at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA).
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the victims were being trafficked to Saudi Arabia for labour exploitation by two Ghanaian nationals suspected to be members of a trafficking syndicate,” Babale said.
According to him, six of the victims were traveling with one-way tickets, noting that one of the suspects is currently in custody, while the other is at large.
Babale added that NAPTIP also rescued two women who had earlier been trafficked to Burkina Faso from Kano on July 24 for sexual exploitation.
He said a 30-year-old suspect was arrested in connection with the case. Investigations showed she trafficked the victims through Lagos to her sister in Burkina Faso.
“The suspect was arrested in Kano, while the victims were rescued and returned to Kano via Lagos by road,” he said, adding that the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The commander said the victims would undergo counselling and rehabilitation before being reunited with their families, in line with NAPTIP’s victim-centred approach.
He urged parents to be vigilant, warning that traffickers often exploit economic hardship to lure victims with false promises of greener pastures abroad.
Babale also called on the public to report suspicious movements and activities related to human trafficking to the appropriate authorities.
