Officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Lagos Seaports and Marine Command have intercepted five females suspected to be victims of human trafficking along the waterways of Badagry coastal community.
The victims were apprehended alongside one Mrs Blessing Anireta (26) who was without any means of identity or livelihood.
The female victims age bracket it was gathered are between 15 to 23 years and were apprehended at about 0930 hours local time on Wednesday.
Addressing journalists during a press briefing on Thursday, Controller of the Lagos Seaports and Marine Command, Comptroller Mohammed Saddiq disclosed that three of the victims hailed from Abia, while two others are from Akwa Ibom and Plateau states
Comptroller Saddiq noted that the victims were transported from their various locations through the point of embarkation with promise from the agents of job placement within some countries in the sub region.
According to him, the victims were persuaded under the pretext of getting legitimate employment in Mali, Benin Republic and Cote d Ivoire adding that they were connected to a member of the human trafficking syndicate in Lagos who coordinated the voyage through a speed boat.
He stated that the seàports Immigration team intercepted the boat conveying the girls during a routine patrol pointing out that the syndicate is still at large but operatives of the marine unit are still on the trail.
The Comptroller stated that preliminary investigations revealed that two of the females who accompanied Mrs Anireta who hails from Delta State , testified that they were lured into embarking on the journey without the consent of their parents adding that they were on their way to Mali when arrested by personnel of the service on patrol at Pashi check point under Badagry Local Government Area Lagos State.
“Upon profiling, it was further established that Mrs Anireta facilitated the unsuccessful journey with the intent to engage her companions in prostitution while in their country of destination.”
Primarily, with the next line of action, the Immigration boss further reiterated that the victims would be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) along with the suspect for further investigation.
“I wish to stress that in keeping with the Comptroller General’s directive, the Command is vigorously undertaking a 24/7 patrol of marine routes to stem the tide of human trafficking, migrant smuggling and other forms of transborder criminality.”
He further stressed the need for the media to help join the fight against human trafficking mostly especially as it concerns the girl child.
“To achieve this objective,the command boss further solicited support and cooperation of the public, particularly proximate riverine in sharing useful information”, Saddiq urged .
Some of the victims who took turns to share their experiences expressed regrets on the journey, even as they thanked the Marine unit of immigration for the arrest at sea.
On her part , Anireta who claimed to be a trader in Mali explained that two of the girls agreed to work for her because she is a business woman and she needed maids to assist her sell wares.
She reiterated that she has been married to a Malian man for about four years but added that the husband was very busy due to the nature of his job, hence the need for a maid and sales attendant.
