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By Ogalah Ibrahim

No fewer than 615 victims of human trafficking were rescued in Katsina State since the beginning of the year 2022

The Katsina Commandant of the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Musa Aliyu, made this known at the State Secretariat Complex during a joint Press Conference held ad part of activities to mark the “World Day Against Trafficking in Persons”.

According to Aliyu, NAPTIP rescued the 615 victims in collaboration with security agencies from the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigeria Police Force and the Civil Society Organisations (CSO) operating in the State.

While explaining this year’s theme for the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons tittled: “Use and Abuse of Technology,” Aliyu urged Nigerian youths to avoid being disillusioned by the so-called mantra of greener pastures abroad.

He explained that this year’s team focuses on the use of technology as a tool that can enable and impede human trafficking.

At the Joint Conference organised by the State’s Ministry of Women Affairs, NAPTIP and NACTAL, the state Coordinator of the Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL), Shola Babadiya, described cyber technology as an avenue used by human traffickers to further their nefarious activities under its power of anonymity.

Badiya noted that the traffickers use cyber technology to not only mobilise and recruit their victims but also arrange for their transportation and logistics, urging citizens to be at alert and cooperate with NAPTIP.

On her part, the Women Affairs Commissioner in the state, Rabi’ah Muhammad tasked media practitioners to intensify efforts on creating awareness on anti-human trafficking awareness campaign among the general public on the ills of human trafficking amid tactics employed by traffickers in luring their victims into their nets.