Official of the Kebbi State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service, has rescued mother of six children and two teenage girls at a border patrol base in Yauri, Kebbi State.
Adedoyin Awoyele, 35 year old mother of six, and two other teenage girls, Khadijat Babalola and Risikat Ganiyu were on their way to Sokoto State where they were to be moved to Libya when officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kebbi Command apprehended them.
The three victims of human trafficking were said to be coming from Lagos and Oluyole area of Ibadan in Oyo State.
Speaking to newsmen while handing over the victims to NAPTIP at Birnin Kebbi, the state Comptroller of Immigration, Rabi Bashir Nuhu, explains that, the victims were arranged for Libya by human traffickers through Sokoto but were intercepted on their way at the Kebbi border patrol base in Yauri.
The Comptroller said that, two of the victims, Adedoyin and Khadijat upon interrogation disclosed to Immigration personnel that, they were going to Libya on the invitation of their friends that are based in Libya.
She said, the third victim, Risikat claimed she was going to Sokoto State to meet her sister who lives there but the command believes she has plans to move to Libya from there.
Comptroller Rabi Nuhu, said the Nigeria Immigration Service has established that, human trafficking victims contacts persons are in Libya awaiting their arrival.
She lamented that, despite the efforts of the Immigration Service, people are still being apprehended on daily basis in their desperate bids to move to Libya where they are being dehumanized and used for horrible purposes.
According to her, the United Nations is also worried over what happened to many of the victims in their bids to move to Libya as they are being butchered and their hearts and kidneys removed.
The victims, mother of six, Adedoyin and Khadijat told newsmen that, their friends in Libya promised to get them house help jobs if they could make it to Libya through Sokoto.
Adedoyin also said that, “I have six children back in Lagos but the need to survive pushed me to take the risk of moving to Libya even when I read about the dangers on Social Media”.
Receiving the victims, officials of NAPTIP promised to do proper investigation into the matter and ensure that, the perpetrators are apprehended.
They assured to commence counselling and rehabilitation for the victims before they reunite them with their families.
“We are handing over the victims to NAPTIP to do the needful. We are empowered by Part 10 and 11 of 2015 Immigration Act on smuggling and human trafficking and will not relent in our efforts to stop human trafficking”. the state Comptroller said.
Abdullahi Tukur