By Ayodele Oni
Kano Zonal Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has announced that it rescued 285 victims and apprehended 22 human traffickers in 2024.
The Zonal Commander, Abdullahi Babale, disclosed this on Thursday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano.
According to Babale, the 285 rescued victims included 78 males, 97 females, and 110 children (64 boys and 46 girls), aged between seven and 42.
“Out of the 285 victims, 53 were victims of trafficking in persons, while 232 were survivors of sexual abuse, gender-based violence, and other related issues.
“The victims were counseled and rehabilitated before being reunited with their families. Additionally, we empowered 52 of them with empowerment kits.”
Babale also revealed that the 22 arrested suspects consisted of eight males and 14 females noting that the command received 211 cases during the period under review, involving both external and internal human trafficking.
The commander explained that their cases included child abuse, child labor, sexual abuse, and other violations under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act.
Babale further stated that the command secured 15 convictions, including one involving a foreign national. The individuals convicted of various offences comprised 13 males and two females.
He added that the command carried out 88 sensitization and enlightenment programs through radio and television, schools, communities, faith-based organizations, markets, workshops, training sessions, and advocacy visits. These initiatives highlighted the dangers of human trafficking and other forms of abuse.
“We successfully profiled 720 migrant returnees from the Niger Republic who had traveled out of the country in search of greener pastures during the period under review.”
Babale called for collaboration among all stakeholders to combat human trafficking and cautioned Nigerians against embarking on overseas journeys under the guise of searching for greener pastures.
He urged parents to protect their children from being exploited and lured into slavery and advised the public to report suspicious cases of human trafficking in their respective communities.
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