NIS hands over eight victims, suspects to NAPTIP

The Nigeria Immigration Service, Oyo State Command, on Monday handed over four suspects and four victims of human trafficking to the National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Person and other Related Matters.

Speaking during the handing over in his officer in Ibadan, the state command’s Controller, Mr. Joseph Olaitan, vowed that he would not relent in his efforts aimed at ridding the state of human trafficking.

Olaitan disclosed that the four victims whose ages range from 12 to 17 were rescued from the four suspects (two Nigerians and two Togolese) who specialised in bringing children from Togo and distributing them to different parts of Nigeria for child labour.

He quoted one of the suspects as saying that she had distributed no fewer than 49 Togolese children across the country in the last one month.

He said one of the rescued children had earlier been handed over to the Togolese Embassy because of her poor state of health.

Olaitan said that his handing over the suspects and the victims to NAPTIP was in line with the directive of the NIS Controller-General, Mrs. Rose Uzoma, that the NIS must maintain synergy with NAPTIP.

Describing human trafficking as a crime and not business, the NIS boss vowed that his command would not relent in its onslaught on the suspects until the state was rid of the illicit business.

The leader of the NAPTIP delegation, Miss Angela Osaji, thanked Olaitan for his cooperation in the task of waging war against human trafficking.

Osaji promised the NIS that thorough investigation would be conducted to ascertain the level of involvement of the suspects.

She added that while those found culpable would be prosecuted in the country because of an understanding between Nigeria and Togo, the victims would be released to the Togolese Embassy for onward return to their families.