Nothing less than 21 Almajiris travelling to Mauritania have been intercepted by operatives of the Nigeria immigration service (NIS), Kebbi State Command.
The Almajiris comprising 19 males and 2 females were apprehended on Friday alongside a cleric identified as Salmanu Idris an indigene of Niger state at Kangiwa border in Kebbi State while on routine patrol by the officers.
NigeriaCrime.com learned that the cleric Salmanu Idris and the underaged Almajiris were en route Senegal to Mauritania when they were arrested by operatives at the border.
Speaking on the arrest, the State Comptroller of Immigration, Rabi Bashir Nuhu in Birnin Kebbi, said the cleric and the Almajiris were en route Senegal to Mauritania when they were arrested by her personnel at the border.
Nuhu explained that, upon interrogation, the suspect Idris confirmed he was taking them to Senegal for Maulud and afterwards proceed to Mauritania, 19 males and 2 females mostly minors are in the cleric’s contingent.
“They were arrested based on suspicion of human trafficking because a fake ECOWAS passport was found in the cleric’s possession and his narrations were full of lies so he was actually trafficking them to Mauritania.”
While handing them over to officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, (NAPTIP) the State Immigration Chief warned parents to desist from their loose behaviour of entrusting their children to clerics in the name of seeking knowledge as the Command is up and doing in terms of nabbing in the bud illegal migrations and human trafficking in the state.
Responding Sadiq Atiku Abubakar, an official of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, (NAPTIP) Kebbi State
pledged to get to the root of the matter until justice is done on the matter, he said that, the agency will continue to discourage human trafficking in the state.