Immigration Rescues Two Women, Boy from Suspected Human Traffickers at Kebbi Border

Two young women and a boy have been rescued from suspected human traffickers by immigration personnel at the Yauri border in Kebbi State. The victims were reportedly en route to Libya through the Illela border in Sokoto State when they were intercepted.

The rescued women, identified as Rosabeth Udi (24) and Benita Udaje (19) from Delta State, along with Yako Jiji, a boy from Benue State, were being transported by two men and a woman who claimed to be their relatives. However, immigration officials at the Kebbi border stopped them for questioning.

Kebbi’s Immigration Comptroller, Rabi Bashir Nuhu, revealed that upon interrogation, the victims disclosed they had been instructed by traffickers in Libya to contact certain individuals upon reaching Sokoto. Nuhu stated, “Our suspicion is that the girls were being recruited for prostitution, while the boy was targeted for organ harvesting. The girls were asked to undergo HIV and hepatitis tests, which is a common procedure for trafficking victims being lured into prostitution in Libya.”

While handing over the victims to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Nuhu expressed concern over the persistent activities of traffickers. “Despite our continuous efforts to intercept them, they keep finding alternative routes to Libya,” she said.

NAPTIP’s Head of Operations, Sadiq Atiku, assured that investigations would be intensified to track down the traffickers. He also confirmed that the rescued victims would be reunited with their families after undergoing rehabilitation.