Trafficking: Police Rescue Twelve Victims In Katsina

The Katsina State police command has rescued twelve victims who were about to be taken from the country to Libya on Wednesday.

The victims blamed the lack of job and hardship experienced in Nigeria as part of their reasons for cooperating with human traffickers to escape from the country.

The victims, who were on their way to Libya en route Daura to Niger Republic, made the confession while fielding questions from pressmen at the Katsina police command on Wednesday.

One of the victims, Adeleke Medinat, who alleged that she was not aware that travelling through illegal routes is a crime, said she was going to Libya to seek greener pastures, noting that her sister who is already there working, sent her the contact of one Alhaji based in Kano to help her find her way to Libya through Niger Republic.

According to Medina, the arrangement was done in such a way that when she gets to Libya, she will work and earn money for her sister and the agent for one year before she gets her freedom and begin to earn for herself.

Similarly, when quizzed on why he decided to embark on the journey to Libya, another victim, Orobore Francis, said it was due to hardship and family demands.

Orobore appealed to the government at all levels to come to their aid by creating an enabling environment, job opportunities for the teeming youths in order to reverse the ugly trend.

The identity of the 12 rescued victims as provided by the SP Gambo Isah, the police spokesman in the state include: Madinat Adekeje, ‘F’, aged 39 years of Kwara state, Aminat Kazeem, ‘F’, aged 25 years of Oyo state, Orobore Francis, ‘M’, aged 32 years of Edo state, Mike Emuagbon, ‘M’, aged 22 years of Edo state, Oladoke Uhunoma, ‘F’, aged 33 years of Edo state, Elizabeth Idemudia, ‘F’, aged 16 years of Edo State.

Others are Fatima Ibrahim, ‘F’, aged 25 years of Osun State, Elizabeth Egbayelo, ‘F’, aged 32 years of Ondo State, Olawale Oyindamola, ‘F’, aged 19 years of Ondo state, Victoria Chidi, ‘F’, aged 14 years of Ondo State, Folashayo Oluwabunmi, ‘F’, aged 30 years of Ogun state and Suliyat Omotayo, ‘F’, aged 25 years of Ogun State.

SP Gambo said efforts were ongoing to ensure that the owner of the house where the victims were kept in Daura as well as their driver are brought to face the wrath of law.

However, the police spokesman said the victims have been handed over to the Kano Zonal Office of NAPTIP for further action.