The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kebbi Command, has handed over a 22-year-old suspected victim of human trafficking to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). The Comptroller of the NIS in the state, Mrs Rabi Bashir-Nuhu, made this known on Monday in Birnin Kebbi while addressing newsmen.
Bashir-Nuhu said the victim from Kwara, was arrested in Kebbi while travelling to Libya en route Sokoto State when she was arrested by immigration border personnel in Yauri Local Government Area of the state, adding that the victim was arrested on Sunday.
She disclosed that between February 2022 and date, the command had intercepted and handed over 52 Libya-bound victims of trafficking to NAPTIP in the state, aside from this victim.
According to her, the victim was arrested on Sunday going to Libya en route Yauri to Sokoto.
“The victim, who is a female and aged 22, was promised a domestic job in Libya and has no travelling documents – no visa and no passport.
“We have to apply Pact 10 and 11 of the Immigration Act 2015, to intercept her and hand her over to NAPTIP,” she said.
The comptroller reassured that the NIS would not allow any suspicious character or person profiting from human trafficking to escape the service drag-net.
Meanwhile, the victim has confirmed that she was going to Libya upon her sisters’ invitation, who claimed to have come to secure a house help job for her.
Receiving the victims, Mr Misbahu Kaura, State Commander, NAPTIP, said the agency would undertake a thorough investigation of the matter.
“We thank the NIS for making our job easier and we are going to investigate thoroughly from the victim’s take-off destination, the transporters and people involved in her trafficking to Libya.
“We are going to rehabilitate and counsel the victim and ensure that she is united with her parents or guardians,” he said.
Kaura commended the NIS for its collaboration with the agency in the fight against human trafficking in the country.
