Fifteen indigenes of Oyo State are among the 972 trafficked Nigerians who just returned from Libya. It was also revealed that there were over 5000 Nigerians in various detention camps in Libya.
According to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons, NAPTIP, on Thursday, the victims rescued from Libyan detention camps were from 27 states of the federation.
NAPTIP Director General, Julie Okah-Donli, who made the disclosure during a press conference in Abuja, said 972 Nigerians had been rescued in the New Year.
“Out of the over 5,000 Nigerians located in different detention camps in Libya, 972, in two batches of 485 and 487, have returned. Another batch is expected and more will continue to come back until the operations are completed.
“Among those that have returned so far, Edo State has 533 returnees, followed by Delta State with 128. Yobe State is next with 28, while Imo and Ogun states have 25 each. Ondo State has 17 and Oyo has 15 returnees. 27 states have their indigenes so far returned while nine states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, have not yet recorded any returnee. The nine states are Borno, Adamawa, Gombe, Taraba, Bauchi, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara and Niger.
“There are also nine pregnant ladies and five babies among the returnees. Two suspected traffickers were also arrested and are under investigation. A female returnee who was also identified as a trafficker has been transferred to our Lagos Zonal Command for further investigation.”
Okah-Donli said the agency had deployed about 40 members of staff to assist in profiling the returnees and providing them with psycho-social assistance.
“It is important to state that we have set up measures to fish out those persons involved in the trafficking or smuggling of these returnees and present them to the courts for prosecution.
“Our shelters have been prepared to receive the returnees, while arrangements have been made to move others to shelters run by our partners. I wish to appeal to states mounting pressure to take away their indigenes to ensure that these returnees are properly rehabilitated as releasing them into the streets without rehabilitation and other assistance may spell doom for the country,” the DG added.
