Two teenage girls, aged 13 and 14, including one living with sickle cell disease, have been rescued in Edo State after a failed attempt to traffic them to Libya.

 

The victims, who left Benin City on Sunday, had travelled as far as Zaria, Kaduna State, before their trafficker instructed them to return home following the arrest of his mother, Mrs. Comfort Etim, now in police custody. They were safely returned to Edo on Wednesday night.

 

At the Edo State Migration Agency, the minors revealed that they were deceived with promises of employment as domestic workers for an elderly couple in Italy. They added that their sponsor warned them not to inform their parents.

 

One of the girls, identified as Success, said they were given food and disguises for the trip and told to call a contact upon arrival in Kano. She expressed relief at being rescued and reunited with her family.

 

Her companion, who is managing sickle cell disease, said she initially believed the journey would give her a chance to “surprise” her mother with an opportunity abroad.

 

Confirming the development, the Director General of the Edo State Migration Agency, Lucky Agazumah, said the transport company that conveyed the unaccompanied minors would be sanctioned. He also disclosed that several accomplices connected to the trafficking syndicate had been arrested.

 

Agazumah assured that all those involved would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, reiterating the state’s commitment to combating human trafficking.