Two arrested for Human Trafficking by immigration Officers and also rescues 29 victims

Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, has arrested two suspected human traffickers alongside with 29 victims found with them.

The Comptroller of Immigration in Cross River State, Mrs Funke Adeuyi, stated this yesterday in Calabar while addressing journalists, stressing that the suspects were caught with 29 victims on January 10, 2016.

Adeuyi said they were arrested by officers and men of the NIS on border patrol at Itigidi in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State.

“On January 10, the immigration border patrol officers at Itigidi intercepted two buses containing 29 youth which we found out were victims of human traffickers.

“On first line interrogation, we discovered that a lot of them were going to an unknown destination.

“We have profiled them and we have reasons to suspect that they were about to be trafficked to an unknown destination.

“The detailed information on where they intend to traffic them to would be better unraveled when we hand them over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons,’’ she said.

The state comptroller added that the two suspects nabbed by the immigrations authority had some monies with them, while some of the victims only had their mobile phones with them.

“The victims told us during our first line investigation that they were being taken to a place where they would work and get some money.

“We reliably gathered from some of the victims that their parents were aware that the suspected traffickers were taking them away to do menial jobs that would earn them some money.

“We would hand them over to NAPTIP for further investigation on the matter’’ Adeuyi maintained.

She advised parents to be careful in giving out their children/wards to people whom they don’t know much about.

While receiving the victims and the suspected traffickers, Mr Victor Odudukudu, an official from NAPTIP, assured that the agency would continue with the investigation.

“We are going to interview the victims and interrogate the suspects.

“We are also going to trace their family members and find out if they actually gave out their children to the suspects,’’ he said.

One of the suspects, Mr Denis Agbor, said he was taking the victims to Akure, Ondo State, to work in his restaurant.

According to Agbor, he took the victims from Yakurr Local Government area of the state.

“When I was about going back to my base in Akure, these people met me and appealed that I take them along with me and engage them in menial jobs.

“I agreed to their appeal and promised that I will be paying those that will work in my restaurant some token while I will engage others elsewhere

NATIONAL MIRROR

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