A high-profile trans-border trafficking suspect, Nurudeen Sani, has been arrested and his victims rescued.
Sani, said to be based in Kano, was arrested through the joint efforts of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Department of State Services (DSS).
The arrest of Sani led to the rescue of 13 Libya-bound victims of human trafficking, made up of two boys and 11 girls.
The Agency has commenced a manhunt for two other members of the trafficking ring whose names were given as Bose and Ismeal.
According to NAPTIP, the latest arrest followed a tip–off from some concerned stakeholders in Kano who were disturbed by the nefarious activities of the suspect.
The victims said to have been recruited from the South West Region of the Country were rescued at Basarawa Community along the Kano – Kastina Road by the combined Security Operatives.
They were said to be heading to Libya through the Republic of Niger.
While the suspect is presently under interrogation by NAPTIP operatives, the victims are undergoing counselling as part of the Agency’s rehabilitation procedure.
Speaking on the arrest, Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Senator Basheer Garba Muhammed, expressed worry over the activities of the traffickers and warned parents to desist from yielding to the pressure of deceit in giving out their children.
Senator Garba Muhammed said: “It is sad that despite the painful experience of victims along these notorious trafficking routes especially the Libya corridor, some people still agreed to be trafficked out of the Country. This is a dangerous decision.
“NAPTIP shall go after the remaining members of this trafficking gang and they will be made to face the full wrath of the law.
“I sincerely thank our sister Law Enforcement Agencies for their support and collaboration which led to the arrest of the suspect.”
