Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP in a combined operation with the Department of State Services, DSS, Imo State Command in South-east Nigeria, have rescued a middle-aged Burundian woman and her three children suspected to be victims of trafficking.
This was disclosed in a statement released by the spokesperson of the Agency, Adekoye Vincent, and made available to journalists in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
The victims, Ms Siniremera Snadrine Bizimana and her three children- Murwaneza Zertha Maecy, Akimana Ken Bethel, and Umwiza Goodluck Collins, who were rescued from a village in Imo State where they were being exploited by their trafficker, were set free through the early morning sting operation carried out on their holding mud house located in Umunoha village in Mbaito Local Government Area of Imo State.
According to the statement, investigation revealed that the victims were rescued based on a complaint lodged at the NAPTIP Headquarters by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, and further directive from the Director General of the Agency, Dr Fatima Waziri – Azi.
It was gathered that the victims who have refugee status in Kenya, were trafficked to Lagos, Nigeria by yet to be identified human trafficker in September 2021 and thereafter moved to Umunoha, Imo State where their movement were restricted and forced into menial labour of all sorts on daily basis in order to feed.
Their traveling documents and other valuable personal belongings were also confiscated by the unknown trafficker in the process.
In his explanation, the Commander, Imo State Command of NAPTIP, Mr. Earnest Ogbu, stated that accounts from the victims indicated that they may have been deceived by the trafficker into coming to Nigeria and further taken to a remote village in Imo State without any resistance.
Successful operation
On the development, the Director General of NAPTIP, Dr Fatima Waziri – Azi, thanked all stakeholders and partners who provided information and assisted in ensuring a successful operation that led to the rescue of the victims.
She appreciated the effort and collaboration of the Imo State Command of the Department State Services for providing the needed operational support.
The NAPTIP boss assured that those behind the ordeal of the victims shall be identified and prosecuted.
“I have directed our operatives to carry out diligent investigation on how the victims got to the village. The traffickers will be identified and made to face justice”, the NAPTIP Director General stated.
Emmanuel Ukoh
