The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Kano Zonal Command says it has rescued 285 victims and apprehended 22 human traffickers in 2024.
The Zonal Commander, Mr Abdullahi Babale, revealed this on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Kano.
Babale said the 285 rescued victims comprised 78 males, 97 females and 110 children aged between 7 and 42.
He explained that out of the 285 victims, 53 are victims of trafficking in persons, while 232 are survivors of sexual abuse, and gender-based violence among others.
“The victims were counselled and rehabilitated before being reunited with their families, and we empowered 52, with empowerment kits.”
While noting that the 22 arrested suspects comprised 8 males and 14 females, Babale pointed that the command received 211 cases during the period under review, which involved both external and internal human trafficking.
The commander further explained that the cases included child abuse, child labour, sexual abuse, and other cases under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act.
Babale said the command also secured 15 convictions including one foreign national, while those convicted for various offences comprised 13 males and two females.
He said that the command carried out 88 sensitization programmes through radio and television, schools, communities, faith-based organizations, markets, workshops/training sessions, and advocacy visits, highlighting the dangers of human trafficking and other forms of abuse.
The Kano NAPTIP Zonal Commander who called for the collaboration of all stakeholders to fight human trafficking, cautioned Nigerians against embarking on overseas journeys in the name of searching for greener pastures.