Dare Babalola
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) Jigawa Command has successfully rescued a total of 221 victims of human trafficking in the state over a period of two years.
The Commander of the agency, Abdulladir Turajo, on Friday disclosed NAPTIP’s recent achievements in combating human trafficking during a one-day sensitisation campaign in Kazaure.
Turajo said the victims were rescued and reunited with their respective families after the establishment of the command in July 2023.
Additionally, the command secured two convictions and organized 175 sensitization programs for communities, schools, and other public spaces, including places of worship and motor parks, across the state.
The exercise was organised in collaboration with Jigawa State Ministry for Local Government and Community Development.
The campaign is a component of a comprehensive zonal grassroots sensitization initiative targeting key stakeholders across all 27 Local Government Areas in the state, with implementation scheduled in three phases.
The commander stated that the program will be rolled out in three phases, with the first phase kicking off in Kazaure today, specifically targeting 12 Local Government Areas from the Jigawa Northwest zone.
“The second will be conducted in Hadejia for the eight LGAs of Jigawa Northeast Zone, and the last in Dutse for the seven LGAs of Jigawa Southwest Zone, respectively.”
The commander further pointed out that the campaign was imperative due to the strategic location of the state, being one of the major international routes and recruitment grounds for human trafficking activities.
Turajo added that the initiative serves as an avenue to educate critical stakeholders in the state on the dangers and consequences associated with human trafficking.
“The Command wishes to use the programme to establish a partnership with the local communities for effective response against trafficking in persons in the local communities, through intelligence sharing and reporting of cases and incidents of trafficking from the local grassroots levels.”
While appreciating the Ministry for Local Government for sponsoring the programme, the commander also commended Gov. Umar Namadi for his support and interventions that have led to the overall success recorded by the agency in counter trafficking operations in the state.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Local Government, Mr Ibrahim Garba, reiterated the commitment of the state government to support the agency in its fight against human trafficking.
Garba, who was represented by the Director of Social Development in the ministry, Mahmud Mukaddas, called on the participants and other stakeholders to fully support NAPTIP in curbing the menace.
In his remarks, Mr Adamu Bashir, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Area Commander in charge of the zone, called on parents/guardians to watch over their children/wards to avoid being deceived by traffickers.
