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At least 615 victims of human trafficking have been rescued in Katsina State from January to date.
The Commander of the State Command of National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Musa Aliyu, gave out the figure on Saturday in a joint Press Conference to mark World Day Against Trafficking in Persons at the Katsina State Secretariat Complex.
He explained that NAPTIP received the victims in collaboration with stakeholders from the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigeria Police Force and the Civil Society Organisations (CSO) operating in the State.
Aliyu, while urging Nigerian youths not to be deceived with the so-called greener pastures, noted that this year’s theme for the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is “Use and Abuse of Technology” and focuses on the use of technology as a tool that can enable and impede human trafficking.
The Joint Conference was put together by the State’s Ministry of Women Affairs, the State Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) as well as the State Command of the Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL).
In his remarks, the State Coordinator of the State Command of the Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL), Mr. Shola Babadiya described cyber technology as avenue used by human traffickers to further their nefarious activities under its power of anonymity.
The traffickers, he said, used cyber technology to not only mobilize and recruit their victims but also arrange for their transportation and logistics, calling on people to be on alert and collaborate with the NAPTIP.
The State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Rabi’ah Muhammad Daura urged media practitioners to intensify efforts of increasing awareness among the general public on the ills of human trafficking amid the tactics employed by traffickers in luring their victims into their nets.
