Twenty-three victims forces into slavery in Burkina Faso have retuned to Katsina their home of nativity.
Katsina State Government rescued 23 victims of human trafficking on Tuesday.
Katsina Officials Evacuated 23 Slaves from Burkina Faso
Governor, Aminu Masari, received the victims Tuesday in Katsina after the government officials evacuated brought them back from Burkina Faso.
Mr Masari said that human traffickers lured them. Masari said the agent promised them lucrative jobs at Burkina Faso and their slave masters ended up selling them out
Masari said: “The the Nigerian Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Mrs Ramatu Mohammed informed us about the condition of the slave.
Mohammed Told Katsina about their presence in Burkina Faso
”Mohammed told us about their presence in that country.
“Immediately we received the letter, we dispatched our officials to Burkina Faso to rescue the victims.”
Special Adviser to the governor on Narcotics, Alhaji Hamza Borodo brought the 23 persons back to Katsina
According to him, two others among the victims refused to come back.
Two Human Traffickers Sold 23 Victims Out
Borodo said: “We later understand that the two persons were the agents of Usman Wagini. Mr Wagini was the agent took them there and sold them to a businesswoman.”
One of the victims, Usman Suleiman, said that Wagini lured them from their villages in Kankara Local Government. Suleiman said he lured them with a promise of good jobs abroad.
Suleiman said: ”We were first taken to Lagos and later Cotonou where a businesswoman bought us and enslaved us.
”It took us sometimes to realize that we have fallen victims of human trafficking. “We suffered a lot of hardships. There was no enough food to eat or water to drink. “Our slave master abandoned us whenever we were sick.”
”The local Hausa Chief in Burkina Faso helped us when we approached. ”It was the local Hausas that contacted Nigeria’s Ambassador over their plight. “We thank God that Gov. Masari assisted and rescued us from that country,” he said.
the local Hausa Chief in Burkina Faso.
