Six-month-old Baby, Three Other Nigerians Rescued While Being Trafficked To Burkina Faso
It was reported that the victims were intercepted by operatives on Monday around 1:30pm along Kankon Owode Road in Badagry.
The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) Lagos Border Patrol Command at Seme, Badagry, has intercepted a group of four suspects, including a six-month-old baby, who are suspected to be victims of human trafficking.
It was reported that the victims were intercepted by operatives on Monday around 1:30pm along Kankon Owode Road in Badagry.
Confirming the arrest of the suspects on Friday, Comptroller Peter Adache said the victims were intercepted with their traffickers, a couple.
The controller told the News Agency of Nigeria that the suspects were travelling to Burkina Faso via the Republic of Benin without the necessary documents.
“None of them was in possession of any travel documents when they were intercepted at Owode Border,” he said.
“During interrogation ,it was revealed that one of suspected traffickers ,who is a food vendor and citizen of Burkina Faso ,lured them to travel with her to the country.
“The three ladies decided to follow her because she promised to give them good job and good salary.
“She called her husband, who is a citizen of Benin Republic ,and they arranged how to transport the three ladies and the child to Burkina Faso.
“The travelling expenses and feeding for the 6 persons were paid by the couple,” he said.
The controller said that the victims would be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, to help reunite them with their families.
“It is a painful situation and under this situation, we cannot in any way look away.
“I have been directed by the Assistant Controller General of Immigration in charge of Zone A to hand them over to NAPTIP.
“The Lagos Border Patrol command of NIS will continue to ensure compliance to immigration rules and regulations and equally ensure protection of Nigerians and reintegration of victims to their families,” he said.
“One of the suspected victims (name withheld) , who is a mother of the six-month-old child, said she and the child were abandoned by her husband, hence her decision to travel with the couple to survive hardship.
“Shortly after I delivered my child, my husband left me alone to take care of the child.
“Since there is no help from any quarters, when she(suspected trafficker, approached me to go to Burkina Faso, I agreed because she said I will make money and do good jobs there.
“The journey had been tedious until we were arrested by immigration officers, I want to go back home,” she said.
The suspected victims of human trafficking were subsequently handed over to Ibraheem Ogunbiyi, the Assistant Director and Head of the Counseling and Rehabilitation Unit at NAPTIP’s Lagos Zonal Command.
Mr. Ogunbiyi represented Comfort Agboko, the Zonal Commander of NAPTIP’s Lagos Zonal Command.
The Seme Command of Nigeria Immigration on July 20, received 66 Nigerians who had been trafficked from Ghana.
Comptroller Abdullahi Adamu, the Controller of the Seme Command of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), stated that the rescue of the victims was carried out in cooperation with the Nigerian High Commissioner in Ghana.
