22 human traffickers were arrested and 285 victims were rescued in 2024, according to the Kano Zonal Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.
During an interview in Kano on Thursday, Abdullahi Babale, the Zonal Commander, disclosed this information.
78 men, 97 women, and 110 children, 64 boys and 46 girls, between the ages of seven and forty-two, made up the 285 rescued victims, according to Mr. Babale.
Of the 285 victims, 53 are victims of human trafficking, and 232 have survived sexual abuse, gender-based violence, and other forms of violence, he said. Before being reunited with their families, the victims received counseling and rehabilitation, and we provided empowerment packages to fifty-two of them.
According to Mr. Babale, there were eight men and fourteen women among the 22 suspects who were detained.
He pointed out that throughout the evaluation period, the command received 211 cases involving both internal and external human trafficking.
The commander clarified that among the cases under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act were those involving sexual abuse, child labor, and child maltreatment.
According to Mr. Babale, the command also obtained 15 convictions, including one foreign national, while 13 men and two women were found guilty of various offenses.
In order to raise awareness of the risks of human trafficking and other abuses, he said the command conducted 88 sensitization/enlightenment programs through radio and television, schools, communities, faith-based organizations, marketplaces, workshops/training sessions, and advocacy visits.
“During the reviewed period, we were able to profile 720 Niger Republic migrants who returned home in search of better opportunities,” he stated.
Mr. Babale warned Nigerians against traveling abroad in the name of seeking better opportunities, and he urged stakeholders to work together to combat human trafficking.
He asked the people to report suspicious occurrences of human trafficking and trafficking in their local areas and called on parents to shield their children from being exploited and misled into slavery.
