The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has revealed that it rescued and rehabilitated 221 victims of human trafficking in Jigawa State over the past two years.
The agency said the record underscores its commitment to protecting vulnerable groups and dismantling trafficking networks that have affected communities in the region.
According to NAPTIP, the victims were not only rescued but also reunited with their families after receiving psychosocial and economic rehabilitation support to help them rebuild their lives.
The agency added that this achievement was made possible through strong collaboration between NAPTIP, the state government, and local communities.
Speaking during a sensitization campaign in Kazaure on Friday, the NAPTIP Commander in Jigawa State, Abdulladir Turajo, stated that the rescues were recorded within the last two years following the creation of the state command in July 2023.
He noted that the command has also secured two convictions and conducted over 170 awareness campaigns across schools, markets, places of worship, and transport hubs in the state.
“The fight against human trafficking requires the active involvement of everyone,” Turajo said. “Our team has worked tirelessly to rescue victims, rehabilitate them, and reintegrate them into society. We are equally committed to strengthening community collaboration for intelligence gathering and timely reporting of trafficking incidents.”
The sensitization exercise, jointly organized with the Jigawa State Ministry for Local Government and Community Development, forms part of a larger anti-trafficking campaign aimed at reaching all 27 local government areas across the state’s three zones.
According to Turajo, the first phase, which began in Kazaure, covers 12 local government areas in the North-West zone, while the next phases will be held in Hadejia and Dutse to cover the remaining 15 councils in the North-East and South-West zones, respectively.
He described Jigawa as a key route and recruitment hub for traffickers operating along international migration corridors, stressing that community awareness remains the most effective way to curb the trend.
“Our campaign is designed to empower residents with the knowledge to identify, prevent, and report trafficking cases before more lives are destroyed,” he added.
Turajo further commended Governor Umar Namadi and the Ministry for Local Government for their continuous support, noting that the success recorded so far would not have been possible without their backing.
“This campaign represents a collective effort to safeguard the dignity of our citizens. Together, we can build communities that are resistant to the lure and deception of traffickers,” the commander said.
NAPTIP noted that the statewide awareness drive would continue in the coming months as part of its long-term plan to eliminate human trafficking and exploitation in Jigawa and beyond.
