Human trafficking: Mother of six, 2 teenage girls rescued by Immigration on way to Libya

Ismail Adebayo in Birnin Kebbi

A mother of six children and two teenage girls have been intercepted and rescued by immigration officials at a border patrol base in Yauri, Kebbi State.

The 35-year-old mother of six, whose name was given as Adedoyin Awoyele, and two other teenage girls,  Khadijat Babalola and Risikat Ganiyu were on their way to Sokoto where they were to be moved to Libya when officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kebbi Command apprehended them. The three victims of human trafficking were said to be coming from Lagos and Oluyole area of Ibadan in Oyo State. 

They were arranged for Libya by human traffickers through Sokoto but were intercepted on their way at the Kebbi border patrol base in Yauri.

While handing them over to officials of NAPTIP at the NIS State headquarters in Birnin Kebbi, the state comptroller of Immigration, Rabi Bashir Nuhu said two of the victims, Adedoyin and Khadijat upon interrogation disclosed to Immigration personnel that they were going to Libya on the invitation of their friends that are based in Libya. She said the third victim, Risikat claimed she was going to Sokoto to meet her sister who lives there but the command believes she has plans to move to Libya from Sokoto.

The state comptroller said the NIS has established that the human trafficking victim's contacts persons are in Libya awaiting their arrival. She lamented that " It's unfortunate that despite our efforts people are still being apprehended on daily basis in their desperate bids to move to Libya where they are being dehumanized and used for horrible purposes.

"We are not doing this on our own but to protect the victims of human trafficking. The United Nations is also worried over what happened to many of the victims in their bids to move to Libya.

"They are being butchered and their hearts and kidneys removed. Kidney harvest is what they are doing now. Imagine this woman with six children. Why is she going to Libya instead of her to stay at home and take care of her children?

"We are handing over the victims to NAPTIP to do the needful. We are empowered by Part 10 and 11 of the 2015  Immigration Act on smuggling and human trafficking and will not relent in our efforts to stop human trafficking" the state comptroller said.

While answering questions from journalists, the mother of six, Adedoyin and Khadijat said their friends in Libya promised to get them house help jobs if they could make it to Libya through Sokoto.

Adedoyin said, "I have six children back in Lagos but the need to survive pushed me to take the risk of moving to Libya even when I read about the dangers on Facebook".

While receiving the victims from NI officials of NAPTIP from Kebbi office promised to do a proper investigation into the matter and ensure that the perpetrators are apprehended.  "We will commence counseling and rehabilitation for the victims before we reunite them with their families," NAPTIP officials said.