Two members of a human trafficking syndicate based in Kano State have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the trafficking of women from Nigeria to Niger Republic and Libya.
The suspects–a commercial driver, Abudulahi Umaru, and one Abubakar Suleiman, who confessed to have been paid N10,000 on each of the 100 women he trafficked to their ringleader, one Almusuru based in Niger.
They were recently tracked down by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team who rescued a victim, Nofisat Mustapha.
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City Round learnt that the traffickers recruited the women from different parts of Nigeria and send them to their counterparts in Niger Republic who later trafficked the victims to Libya for prostitution.
It was gathered that the detectives in February 2020 got intelligence about the activities of the syndicate and swung into action.
Umaru, who shuttles between Abuja and Kano, was said to have been intercepted while he was conveying Mustapha to Kano.
The native of Kadawa area of Kano State, who admitted to engaging in the crime, stated that he charged the syndicate more than double of the normal fare from Kano to Abuja.
Suleiman told our correspondent that he was introduced into the crime sometime last year by a Nigerien identified only as Almusuru.
He said his role was to put the victims in commercial vehicles that would convey them to Niger from Kano.
Mustapha, a mother of two, said things became tough for her three years ago when her husband abandoned her while she was in labour and had to undergo a caesarian section.
She explained that some months after the surgery, she started working as a labourer at building construction sites to feed herself and her children.
The 28-year-old woman stated that a neighbour approached her in February and convinced her to travel to Libya for a greener pasture. Punch
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