Nigerian immigration officers have rescued 21 boys from suspected human traffickers attempting to transport them to Maine Soroa in Diffa Province, Niger Republic, under the guise of Islamic education (Almajiri).
The boys were intercepted last weekend at the Geidam Border Control Post in Yobe State and later handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), which transferred them to the Niger State Government.
Speaking at the handover ceremony in Abuja, NAPTIP Director General Hajiya Binta Bello revealed that the boys were trafficked from Magama Local Government Area of Niger State. She questioned why they were being taken outside the country when Niger State has numerous Islamic schools and urged the government to rehabilitate and enroll them in institutions that also provide Western education.
Niger State Governor Usman Bago, represented by Commissioner for Humanitarian and Disaster Management, Ahmed Yumu, pledged to intensify public awareness campaigns to discourage parents from entrusting their children to unverified individuals. He also commended NAPTIP’s efforts in combating human trafficking.
