Francis Sardauna in Katsina
Katsina State Government has rescued 23 victims of human trafficking, who were forced into slavery in Burkina Faso by one Mr. Usman Hassan Wagini.
The victims were among the 31 people from Katsina and Zamfara states sold to yet to be identified woman in Burkina Faso by Wagini.
Governor Aminu Bello Masari, who received the victims Tuesday night in Katsina after state government officials evacuated them back home from Burkina Faso, said the state government was making effort to arrest the kingpin.
He said: “The victims were lured by an agent who promised them lucrative jobs abroad but ended up selling them as slaves to a woman in Burkina Faso.”
According to him, the attention of the state government was drawn to the plight of the victims through a letter by the Nigerian Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Mrs. Ramatu Mohammed, about their presence in that country.
He added: “Immediately we received the letter, we dispatched our officials to Burkina Faso to rescue the victims. And with the assistance of the Nigeria Immigration Service and other security agencies, they were rescued successfully.”
On his part, the Special Adviser to the governor on Drugs, Narcotics and trafficking, Mr. Hamza Borodo, who led state officials to Burkina Faso, said 23 persons were brought back, while two others refused to come back “because they are agents of one Usman Hassan Wagini.”
Speaking to journalists, one of the victims, Nasiru Hudu, said they were taken by Wagini to Burkina Faso with a promise of a lucrative job in that country.
“Usman Wagini first took us to Lagos and later Cotonou and Togo where he sold us to a business woman. We thanked Katsina State Government for rescuing us,” Borodo said.
