Niger Republic: NAPTIP Rescues 65 Trafficked Victims

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has said it has rescued 65 victims of alleged human trafficking in the Niger Republic.

NAPTIP’s zonal commander in charge of Kano, Mr Abdullahi Babale, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano.

He said the victims were apprehended by operatives of the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigerian Police Force at the Kongolam entry post in Katsina State on the Nigeria – Niger border.

Continuing, Babale said that the victims were Nigerian citizens comprising 17 males and 48 females aged between 15 and 42.

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He said preliminary investigation indicated that the victims hailed from Ekiti; Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Lagos, Abia, Edo, Cross-River, Delta, Imo, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Ogun and Enugu states.

The coordinator said the victims were travelling enroute Libya to Italy, Canada and other parts of Europe for labour exploitation and prostitution.

He said the agency had embarked on in-depth investigation into the case to bring the perpetrators to justice and reunite the victims with their families.