Operatives of the National Agency for The Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have rescued 19 women including 8 minors who were being processed for an onward trip to Saudi Arabia for suspected domestic servitude. All the rescued persons are from Kano State.
The rescue operation was a result of intelligence gathered about the impending trip, which also led to the arrest of 3 suspected human traffickers, namely: Hamisu Ibrahim, Sanusi Usman, and Sabiu Sule. The arrested suspects are officials of Kabo Travel and Tours Ltd, based in Kano. Kabo Travel and Tours Ltd and another Kano based Company Halal Travel and Tours were facilitating the trip.
The victims were rescued from the Vfs TasHeel International’s office, Central Business Area Abuja where their agents had taken them to for data capturing before their onward journey to Saudi Arabia. Other suspects working with Halal Travel and Tours Ltd, who were also part of the facilitators of the trip, are still at large, and investigation into the case is ongoing.
The arrests and rescue came at the heels of increased reports of exploitation being meted out on Nigerians who had gone to seek employment as domestic employees in Saudi Arabia and other countries.
The Director-general of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli reiterated her resolve to prevent young Nigerians seeking employment outside the shores of Nigeria from being exploited and promised that the suspects, if found culpable, will be duly prosecuted.
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