Katsina Immigration aprehends human traffickers, rescues 18 persons
Faith Awa Maji, Katsina
THE Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Katsina State command has apprehended two suspected human traffickers, one at large and rescued 18 victims in Charanchi Local Government Area of the state.
The Katsina State Comptroller of the NIS, Abdulrazak Muazu, made this known to newsmen Tuesday at the Command’s headquarters in Katsina.
According to the comptroller, based on an intelligence report, his men apprehended the duo at a patrol base in Charanchi.
He said the suspected human traffickers — Amadu Abdullahi, 32, and Fatima Abdullahi, 35, — “mischievously arranged a fake marriage” to take two minors in their custody to Libya, while one Bala Mai-Biri escaped when the officers intercepted them and left the victims.
“We arrested two suspected human traffickers and rescued 18 victims of human trafficking at Charanchi Patrol Base. All the traffickers and their victims are Nigerians from Edo, Osun, Ogun, Lagos and Delta States.
“The victims comprise 12 females and eight males, age range between 3-45 years. Their mission was to cross the border through an irregular route, along the Jibia axis to Agadez, Niger Republic and proceeded to Libya for greener pasture.
“In the process of interception, one of the suspected human traffickers named Bala Mai Biri escaped and abandoned his vehicle Citreon 806 with registration number GWL672ZA Kano”.
Abdulrazak Muazu noted that the nefarious activities of human traffickers would not deter his determination in effectively manning the nation’s borders in Katsina.
Furthermore, he said the arrested traffickers and their victims will be handed over to the zonal office of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for necessary action.
