Nigeria Immigration Service says, it has rescued 33 victims of human trafficking and arrested 4 suspected human traffickers in Katsina State from March 19 to date.
The State Comptroller of Immigration, Abdulrazaq Muazu, stated this, while parading 10 of the rescued victims of human trafficking including an 11-month-old baby girl.
He said that the Command is prepared to burst the syndicate groups, operating and using the borders of Katsina State, to perpetuate their illegal business.
The victims are between the ages of 11 months to 46 years, and are from Delta, Edo, Lagos, Enugu and Ekiti States.
According to Comptroller Abdulrazaq Muazu, investigations have shown that, all the victims do not possess valid travel documents, and have no means of livelihood.
He added that the victims attempted to cross the border to Niger Republic, en-route Libya, through one of the Nigerian illegal routes.
The Comptroller further added that, the victims were misled by their traffickers, whose business is to ferry persons across the border, through illegal routes, for their selfish gains.
He also used the medium to advise human traffickers, migrant smugglers and their collaborators, to have a change of mind, and stop the illegal business.
Speaking to newsmen, 31-year-old mother of the 11-month-old baby, Ogunwa Yetunde, said she was on her way out of the country, to seek greener pasture.
According to her, she is aware of the dangers involved on the way, and that if anything should have happened, God will take care of her child.
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The victims have since been handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, Liaison Office in Katsina, for further investigation, counselling, training, rehabilitation and prosecution, as the case may be.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
