The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) says its operatives have rescued eight victims of human trafficking and arrested two suspects in Kano.
NAN reports that Abdullahi Babale, NAPTIP zonal commander in Kano, announced the arrest of the suspects in an interview on Friday.
Babale said operatives intercepted the victims on October 1 at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA).
He added that preliminary investigation showed that the victims were to be trafficked to Saudi Arabia for labour exploitation by two Ghanaian nationals believed to be members of a trafficking syndicate.
Advertisement
He said six of the victims were travelling with one-way tickets, noting that one suspect was arrested while another is at large.
The commander said the rescued women, aged between 18 and 43, are from Kano, Katsina, Bauchi, and Kaduna states.
Babale added that the agency also rescued two other women who had earlier been trafficked from Kano to Burkina Faso for sexual exploitation on July 24.
Advertisement
He said a 30-year-old woman was arrested in connection with the case, noting that she trafficked the victims through Lagos to her sister in Burkina Faso.
“The suspect was arrested in Kano, and the victims were rescued and returned to Kano via Lagos by road,” Babale said.
The commander added that the suspects would be charged in court after investigation, while the victims would undergo counselling and rehabilitation before being reunited with their families.
He urged parents to be vigilant and protect their children from traffickers, who often exploit economic hardship to lure victims with false promises of better opportunities abroad.
Advertisement
Babale also appealed to the public to report suspicious movements linked to trafficking to the authorities.
