NIS: We’ve rescued two teenage girls from human trafficker in Sokoto

The Sokoto command of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) says its operatives have rescued two underage girls being trafficked from the state to the Niger Republic.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mohammed Abdullahi, spokesperson of the command, said the operatives attached to the Ilela border rescued the girls from Rukaya Hassan, a suspected human trafficker.

Abdullahi said the 25-year-old suspect attempted to traffic the girls to the neighbouring country, where they would be handed over to another woman who would employ them as “sales girls” at a restaurant.

He said the suspect, who is from the Giribshi area of Sokoto, claimed during interrogation that she did not know the girls.

“She claimed they were handed over to her by one woman in Sokoto, named Maman Adnan, who paid for their transport to Niger,” the statement reads.

“She also claimed the woman requested her to help take the two girls to another woman in Niger, named Amina Yunusa, who will give them jobs in her restaurant in Niamey.”

The NIS spokesperson said the girls, identified as Nabila Ibrahim, 17-year-old  and Zainab Ibrahim, 15-year-old, are sisters from Zuru LGA of Kebbi.

“According to them, they were going to Niger to resume work in a certain restaurant of which they didn’t know the owner, but their parents approved of their trip,” he added.

Tony Akuneme, the comptroller of immigration at Ilela command, transferred the case to the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP) in Sokoto for further investigation.

Akuneme commended the efforts of men and officers on the Ilela border, adding that the command is committed to sustaining the campaign against smuggling of migrants (SOM) and trafficking in persons (TIPs) across the country.