The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Kebbi State has said it intercepted and rescued 52 Nigerian trafficked victims who were heading to Libya.
The Kebbi NIS Controller, Rabi Bashir Nuhu, who disclosed this to journalists during a briefing to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the service, said the victims were rescued between February last year and july this year, adding that they have since been handed to the National Agency for Prohibition in Trafficking of Persons (NAPTIP).
Nuhu noted that upon her assumption of office in February last year, the command succeeded in intercepting many youths, mostly girls, that were being planned for trafficking to Libya through the Illela border in Sokoto State.
She said, “We also intercepted many illegal immigrants trying to move in and out of Nigeria through the Kebbi borders.”
It is troubling, she lamented, that many of the victims of human trafficking are young people who have no idea what they are getting themselves into and are unaware of the dangers they face on their way and iin Libya where they were being trafficked to.
The lack of knowledge and understanding of the risks involved makes them particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse by traffickers. The Commissioner also expressed concern about the growing trend of children being trafficked.