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From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), has decried recurring influx of Nigerians to Libya en route to Kebbi and Sokoto States.
The Comptroller of the NIS in the state, Mrs Rabi Bashir-Nuhu, made this known in Birnin Kebbi on Friday while handing over to NAPTIP, a 25- year- old victim from Oyo state arrested in Kebbi while allegedly on her way to Libya.
She said that the lady was arrested by immigration personnel in Yauri Local Government Area of Kebbi on February 9.
“From late last year and early this year women, especially teenage girls as well as the underaged are being trafficked to Kebbi and Sokoto States an route to Libya and other African countries.
“If you could recall on Feb. 6, three victims, two orphans of age 18 and 15 and a girl of 17 years, were traveling alone when they were arrested by our immigration personnel in Yauri LGA while allegedly on their way to Libya.
“On Dec. 1, 2022 a 16-year-old Albino girl and her 15-year-old sister from Ogun state were arrested on their way to Libya enroute to Kebbi and Sokoto by oir personnel in Yauri LGA.
” On Nov. 29, 2022, a 17-year-old girl from Oyo state and on Nov. 17, 2022, four girls were all arrested on their way to Libya and Liberia respectively.
“It is worrisome that spite of our calls, talks and advice to parents on looking after their wards they still don’t listen.
“This lady you see now is 24-year- old ,and is from Ibadan in Oyo state and she said that she had gone to Lagos to see her aunty who arranged her trip to Sokoto state.
“Upon our investigation, we discovered that she was going to see someone in Sokoto who would arrange her trip to Libya.
“We have to apply Pact 10 and 11 of Immigration Act 2015, receive them and hand them over to NAPTIP,” she said.
The comptroller assured that NIS would not allow any suspicious character or person profiting from human trafficking to pass its net in the state.
Receiving the victims, the Head of Operation of NAPTIP in the state, Alhaji Sadiq Atiku, said that the agency would undertake thorough investigation of the matter.
“We thank NIS for making our job easier and we are going to investigate thoroughly.
” We have so far successfully arraigned some of the suspected traffickers who has connections with previous victims of trafficking as handed over to us by NIS,” hr said.
Atiku commended NIS for collaborating with the agency to eradicate human trafficking in the country.
