NIS Arrests 4 Libya Bound Immigrants In Kebbi
From Ayodele Ajoge, Birnin-Kebbi
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Kebbi State have arrested four young Nigerians travelling to Lybia from Lagos and handed them to National Agency for People Traveling in Persons (APTIP), in the State.
The four victims, whom ages ranges from 22, and 30 years are females while the only male among them is 30 years old as well were arrested in Yauri town of Kebbi State on their way to Lybia.
Comptroller of the NIS in the state, Mrs Rabi Bashir-Nuhu, disclosed this to newsmen in Birnin Kebbi while parading the victims before newsmen.
“It is a pity that in spite of our calls, talks and advice to people, especially youth on the inherent danger in traveling abroad through the desert, they would not listen.
“Thought they are grown up and fully matured, our officers became suspicious of them as they are being trafficked out to work in Libya. Some of them will be enslaved and mishandled, and their organs will be harvested without their knowledge.
“The male among them said he was going to Libya to secure a plumbing and bricklaying job.
“I wonder upon all the opportunities abound here in Nigeria, where it is even peaceful and secured, someone will go to Libya for work in spite of the security challenges therein!
“We have to apply Pact 10 and 11 of Immigration Act 2015, receive them and hand them over to NAPTIP, for necessary counselling and rehabilitations.” She said.
Mrs. Bashir-Nuhu assured that NIS would not allow any suspicious character or person profiting from human trafficking to pass its net in the state.
In statement, the only male victim, confirmed that he was going to Libya to get a job, because he know someone in Libya whom he had contacted and he asked him to come, adding that his hope was to get a plumbing or bricklaying job.
The Head of NAPTIP Operations in the State who received the victims, Alhaji Sadiq Atiku said that the agency would carried out thorough investigation of the matter, pointing out that NAPTIP have so far successfully arraigned some of the suspected traffickers who have connections with previous victims of trafficking as handed over to us by NIS.
