NAPTIP, DSS Rescue Burundian Mother, 3 Trafficked Kids In Imo

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Thursday, January 20th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A combined team of operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons NAPTIP and the Department of State Services, DSS Imo State Command, South- East Nigeria, have rescued a Burundian woman and her three kids suspected to be victims of human trafficking.

NAPTIP, Spokesman, Adekoye Vincent, said in a statement Wednesday, that the middle- aged woman, identified as Siniremera Bizimana, and her three children, Murwaneza Maecy, Akimana Bethel and Umwiza Collins, were freed in the early hours of Wednesday after a sting operation on their holding mud house in Umunoha, in Mbaitoli Council Area of Imo State.

Investigations revealed that the victims were rescued after a complaint from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees was lodged at the NAPTIP’s headquarters and further directive from the Director-General of the agency, Dr Fatima Waziri-Azi.

According to NAPTIP, the victims, who had refugee status in Kenya, were trafficked to Lagos by a yet-to-be-identified human trafficker in September 2021, after which they were moved to Umunoha, Imo State, where they were restricted and forced into daily menial labour to feed.

Their travel documents and other belongings were also confiscated.

Commander of NAPTIP, Imo State, Earnest Ogbu, stated that accounts from the victims indicated that the trafficker deceived them into coming to Nigeria and a remote village in Imo.