TheCable

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) says it has rescued seven female victims of human trafficking in Jigawa.

Speaking with journalists on Friday, Ismail Baba, the NIS comptroller in Jigawa, said the victims were rescued at Gurai village in Babura LGA of the state.

Baba said the victims, aged between 16 and 27, were apprehended on May 5 at about 3pm on their way to Tripoli, Libya.

He explained that one of them was from Lagos, two from Ogun, one from Kwara, two from Imo, and one from Oyo.

He said two of the victims were in possession of blank Nigerian international passports, one was with an ECOWAS travel certificate that wasn’t endorsed, while the remaining four had no travel documents.

“It has become necessary to inform you about the intended trafficking of persons. The victims were apprehended at Gurai village on Babura Road; they were on their way to Tripoli in Libya, “he said.

“The victims were apprehended at about 1500hrs on May 5 by Operation Salama Team A of the NIS, Jigawa State Command, operating along Kazaure, Babura and Ringim axis.”

The comptroller said during interrogation, they confessed to be travelling to Tripoli in Libya through Niger Republic.

He said they all came from different states to Kano where they met and began their journey to Libya through Niger Republic.

“The Comptroller General (CG) of Immigration Service has directed that the victims be handed over to the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP),” he added.

In March, the state police command rescued three women in the Babura axis of the state.

They were said to have been trafficked from Plateau state.