By Ibrahim Bello
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Kebbi has handed over four arrested Libya-bound victims from Lagos State, to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
They were arrested in Kebbi while allegedly on their way to Libya.
The Comptroller of the NIS in Kebbi State, Mrs Rabi Bashir-Nuhu, made this known while addressing newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.
Three of the victims are females of age 22, 22, 30 and a 30 years old male, all traveling alone when they were arrested by immigration personnel in Yauri Local Government Area.
According to Bashir-Nuhu, “it is a pity that in spite of our calls, talks and advice to people, especially youth on being careful in search of their daily meal, they still don’t listen.
“The victims were intercepted at Yauri border patrol on Wednesday and Friday as they were travelling from Lagos to Sokoto althought they are grown up and fully matured.
“Our officers became suspicious of them as they are being trafficked out to work in Libya. Some of them will be enslaved and mishandled and their organs will be harvested without their knowledge.
“The male among them said he was going to Libya to secure a plumbing and bricklaying job.
“I wonder upon all the opportunities that abound here in Nigeria, where it is even peaceful and secured, someone will go to Libya for work, in spite of the security challenges therein.’’
She said the officers applied Pact 10 and 11 of Immigration Act 2015, receive them and handed them over to NAPTIP.
The comptroller assured that the NIS would not allow any suspicious character or person profiting from human trafficking to pass its net in the state.
In their responses, the male victim confirmed that he was going to Libya to get a job.
“I know someone in Libya whom I already contacted, and he said I should come, and my hope was to get job there for either plumbing or bricklaying,” he said.
While receiving the victims, the Head of Operation of NAPTIP in the state, Alhaji Sadiq Atiku, said 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 have connections with previous victims of trafficking as handed over to us by NIS,” he said.
Atiku commended NIS for collaborating with the agency to eradicate human trafficking in the country.(NAN)
