The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has disclosed it has rescued 80 Nigerian victims of trafficking in Niger Republic.
North-west zonal commander of NAPTIP, Abdullahi Babale made this known at a media briefing on Wednesday.
He said the victims who were rescued by the police in Niger Republic on August 9 are between the ages of 16 and 35, comprising 59 females and 21 males.
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Babale explained that the rescue operation was carried out when the NAPTIP joint border task force alerted the police in the Niger Republic on the movement of the victims.
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“On receiving the information, a special operation was coordinated in Niger Republic and 80 victims of human trafficking were rescued after crossing through illegal routes and bush via Mai’adua control post en route to Europe,”
“Out of the 80 victims, 16 are from Ondo State, 16 from Lagos, one from Ekiti, nine from Ogun, eight from Oyo, two from Kogi, nine from Edo, four from Delta, nine from Osun, one from Benue, two from Kwara, and one each from Anambra, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers.”
The commander further said “It shows the collective efforts of both countries in providing better operational strategies to fight against human trafficking and migrants’ smuggling, which is now assuming alarming dimension globally, with higher prevalence among developing countries such as Nigeria and Niger,”
