At least, two suspects have been arrested in connection with Human Trafficking by operatives of the Nigeria Immigration Service in Katsina State.
Fatima Abdullahi, a Female of 35 years of age, and Amadu Abdullahi, a Male of 32 years of age were arrested following an intelligence report received by the command.
In the process of arresting the suspects on March 6th, 2021, at Charanchi Patrol Base, one of the hinterland patrol bases, 18 victims were been rescued.
The Newly deployed Comptroller of the Katsina State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Abdurrazaq Mu’azu disclosed the development in a press briefing on Tuesday at the command headquarters, Katsina.
He told reporters that all the traffickers and their victims comprising 12 females and eight males, aged between three to 45 years, are from Edo, Osun, Lagos and Delta States respectively.
The suspected traffickers and their victims according to him, were intercepted in an eating place where they use to converge in Charanchi town before proceeding to their intended designation.
Mu’azu stated that their mission was to cross the border through the irregular route, along the Jibia border axis, to Agadez in the Niger Republic and proceeded to Libya, for greener pasture.
One of the suspected Human Traffickers named Bala Mai Biri escaped and abandoned his vehicle, Citreon 806 with Registration Number: GWL 672 ZA KANO.
One of the suspected victims simply identified as Adewuyi Blessing is in possession of Nigeria Standard Passport Number: A01728668, while the remaining nineteen suspected persons were not in possession of any travel document.
It was discovered that Ahmadu Abdullahi and Fatima Abdullahi mischievously arranged a fake marriage to enable them to traffic the two minors in their company.
Similarly, one, Elizabeth, who is residing in Libya, connived with the driver, Bala Mai Biri to traffic Alele Gregory, Alex John, Igili Mou, Zainab Hussaini and Abel Mary from Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State to Libya.
Comptroller Mu’azu while reiterating determination in effectively manning the Katsina expansive borders to curtail the influx of irregular migrants and Transnational Organized Crimes announced that the victims and their suspected traffickers will be handed over to NAPTIP Zonal Office in Katsina State for further necessary action.
For many years, the fight against human trafficking has been an ongoing campaign in Nigeria, and around the world, government agencies are saddled with solving this problem.