Hisbah Foils Human Trafficking, Arrests Agent With 12 Women In Kano

The Kano State Hisbah Command has detained a human trafficking suspect at a motor park with 12 women who were preparing to travel to Lagos.

The Deputy Commander General (DCG) of Hisbah, Sheikh Mujahideen Aminuddeen, confirmed the arrest in a statement issued on Monday, September 1, 2025.

He revealed that the suspect was nabbed by command officials at a motor park along Zaria Road on Sunday, August 31.

Aminuddeen stated that the Hisbah operatives, under the leadership of Muhammad Bashir, the Operation Commander (OC) of motor parks, apprehended the agent, who is reportedly from Borno State. He was caught while boarding a vehicle to Lagos with the victims.

According to Aminuddeen, initial findings indicate the man was trafficking the women, each possessing an international passport, to Sierra Leone through Lagos, Benin Republic, and Ghana.

He further noted that the man intended to arrange visas for the victims to travel to Saudi Arabia in pursuit of better opportunities.

Aminuddeen mentioned that during questioning, the women revealed to Hisbah that each had paid an initial sum of N1,500,000, with an agreement to settle the remaining balance after securing employment in their destination country.

Among the victims, one woman is 50 years old, two are 23, two are 20, and the majority are 15 years old.

He also disclosed that three of the victims hail from Katsina, two from Kano, and one each from Borno, Jigawa, and Zamfara states.

He described the situation as regrettable.

“The money they paid for this trip is enough for them to start a business in their respective states. I wonder if they understood the risks involved in this kind of journey,” he said.

“We called on their guardians, parents, and loved ones to caution them against these types of trips,” he said. “We arrested the man at a motor park in Kano. We were informed they were on their way to Lagos, from Lagos to the Benin Republic, then Ghana, where the agent would work on their visas for Saudi Arabia,” he elaborated.

He also expressed concern, “If the visa process fails, they would be moved to Sierra Leone. Even if they secure the visa to Saudi Arabia, there is no specific work for them there. This is dangerous and unfortunate.”

Aminuddeen added that Hisbah had transferred the agent and the victims to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigation.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli