The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), says it has apprehended a suspected human trafficker and rescued two women allegedly bound for Libya at the Illela Border, Sokoto State.
Comptroller of the Illela Border Command, Mr Tony Akuneme, disclosed this in a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Mohammed, in Abuja yesterday.
Akuneme revealed that the suspect was arrested at his family residence in the Yar Kara area of Illela Local GovernmentArea.
The victims, Maryam Akinosi, 40, from Ogun State, and Olatunde Abidemi, 26, from Oyo State, were reportedly travelling without valid documents and were intercepted before they could proceed further.
“Preliminary investigations show that the victims were on their way to Libya. The suspect, Sirajo Illela, has been on the wanted list of both the Immigration Service and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for a long time.
He is notorious for harbouring and facilitating human trafficking through illegal routes at the Illela border,” Akuneme said.
The suspect and victims have been handed over to NAPTIP for further investigation and prosecution.
Akuneme reaffirmed the NIS’s commitment to combating human trafficking and securing Nigeria’s borders under the leadership of the Comptroller General, Kemi Nandap.
