No fewer than 1,085 victims of human trafficking have been rescued by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Kano Zonal Command from January to July 2023.The Public Relations Officer of the zone, Mr. Aliyu Kalli disclosed this while speaking to newsmen on Wednesday. He also said the 1,085 victims are a combination of 932 victims of irregular migration, who were repatriated and handed over to the agency through the International Organisation for Migration in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency of Nigeria.He added that the Zonal Command in the period under review also rescued 163 victims of human trafficking on their way to the Niger Republic and Libya, en route to European countries.Kalli revealed that some victims were rescued in Libya, Niger Republic, and other countries.He added that the Agency is responsible for the documentation of victims of human trafficking, as well as their counseling, rehabilitation and repatriation.He explained that analysis done by the Agency revealed that 80 per cent represents female victims while 20 per cent represent male victims.According to him, the agency in the Zone secured 14 convictions of Human Trafficking for various correctional terms.The PRO noted that the Agency under the period in review organised campaigns and sensitisation programmes against Human Trafficking and child labour in the markets, schools, and motor parks.He added that the Agency in the zone had inaugurated Anti Human Trafficking Vanguards in Six Federal Government Colleges of Kano, Jigawa, and Bauchi states.“NAPTIP in the zone has received and treated many cases of domestic violence,” he said.He called on the public to provide intelligence to the Agency to curtail the menace of human trafficking in the zone and assured that the door of the Agency is always open for receiving information on human trafficking and child labour.He applauded other security agencies, Kano State Government, civil society organisations, and religious leaders for their support.
