14 women, 2 men rescued from human traffickers at Abuja airport
Fourteen women and two men have been rescued by the Operatives of the Department of State Services and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The victims, whose ages range between 15 – 60, were rescued on Thursday.
According to a NAPTIP source, the women, as well as their suspected traffickers, were brought from Kano.
The women are suspected to have been trafficked for the purpose of being used for cheap sexual and manual labour in Saudi Arabia.
It was gathered that the victims were rescued at the airport after a tip-off, while two suspected traffickers leading them were arrested; the two suspects, whose names had yet to be disclosed, were in the DSS custody.
“The traffickers are also from Kano State and it is not yet clear what the purpose of their trip to Saudi Arabia is.
“However, with the increasing reports of exploitation being experienced by Nigerians trafficked to the Middle East region, the women might be used for cheap sexual or manual labour,” the source said,
The NAPTIP Head of Press and Public Relations, Josiah Emerole, who confirmed the incident, said the victims were in the agency’s shelter, where they were undergoing rehabilitation.
