A 13-year-old girl, Rahama Sanusi, was rescued from a suspected human trafficker in a joint operation by the Katsina State Government and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) on Tuesday.
The girl had been trafficked from Katsina to Kano, and later to Makurdi in Benue State, where she was found.
Hon. Hadiza Yar’adua, the Commissioner for Women Affairs in Katsina, emphasized the government’s commitment to addressing the challenges of child trafficking and out-of-school children in the state. “We are working in collaboration with agencies like UNICEF and NAPTIP to tackle these issues and ensure our children are adequately protected,” Yar’adua said during the rescue operation.
The girl had been under the care of her deceased mother’s sister in Kano for seven years before being trafficked due to negligence. Her father, Sanusi Ahmed, revealed that he had made multiple attempts to bring Rahama back, but the caregiver was uncooperative.
“Even before the incident, I tried to contact my daughter, but her caregiver always reassured me that she was fine,” Ahmed said.
The rescue came after a distress call was received on social media on February 16, prompting immediate action. The commissioner expressed hope that the trafficker would face severe punishment as a deterrent to others involved in child trafficking.
Yar’adua concluded, “We will continue to collaborate with agencies to protect our underage children and ensure that such crimes are punished swiftly and justly.”