Nigeria’s anti-human trafficking agency has taken custody of 12 women and girls rescued in Kano after they were allegedly being trafficked to Ghana and Saudi Arabia for labour exploitation, officials said on Monday.
The victims, aged between 15 and 50, were handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) by the Kano State Hisbah Board, which carried out the operation in collaboration with the agency.
“They were intercepted on Aug. 31 at Karota Luxurious Park, Hotoro Western Bye-Pass, while en route to Ghana and onward to Saudi Arabia for suspected labour exploitation,” said Abdullahi Babale, NAPTIP’s Kano Zonal Commander.
Babale said the women, from Kano, Katsina, Borno, Jigawa and Zamfara states, were lured abroad under the guise of securing better jobs. One suspect, Mohammed Saleh, 45, was arrested in connection with the case, he added.
“The rescue and arrest are in line with the directive of the NAPTIP Director-General, Hajiya Binta L. Adamu-Bello, to intensify intelligence gathering and crack down on suspected traffickers operating within Nigeria,” Babale said.
He praised the Commander-General of the Kano Hisbah Board, Sheikh Aminu Daurawa, and the Kano State Government for supporting the fight against trafficking.
The victims will undergo counselling and rehabilitation before being reunited with their families, Babale said, stressing the agency’s victim-centred approach.
He urged families to remain alert, warning that traffickers often exploit economic hardship by luring people with promises of greener pastures abroad.
“We urge members of the public to report any suspicious movement or activities related to human trafficking in their communities,” he added.
NAN