The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Jigawa command, has urged the state government to establish a shelter to strengthen rehabilitation efforts and provide sustained support for victims of human trafficking.

State commander Abdulkadir Turajo made the appeal during an interview with journalists in Dutse on Monday, stressing the need for a dedicated facility to improve protection and care for rescued trafficking survivors.

He explained that a state-owned shelter would give NAPTIP a secure space for victims’ recovery, noting that the command currently transports rescued persons to the agency’s shelter in Kano for temporary accommodation.

Mr Turajo appreciated Governor Umar Namadi’s continued support since the command’s 2023 establishment but maintained that Jigawa urgently needed its own shelter to minimise delays in providing essential services to vulnerable and traumatised trafficking victims.

He said traffickers often exploited the Kazaure axis to move victims through Daura toward the Kongolam border in Katsina, while the Babura and Maigatari areas served as transit points for illegal cross-border trafficking routes.

According to him, local government areas such as Birnin Kudu, Kiyawa, Dutse, Hadejia, Ringim, and Gumel remain trafficking hotspots, with the command recording 56 cases, two convictions, and more than 100 sensitisation campaigns since 2023.

Mr Turajo added that the state’s anti-trafficking task force, chaired by the attorney general, continued to achieve notable successes, supported by security agencies, ministries, civil society organisations, media stakeholders and representatives of traditional institutions across various affected communities. 

(NAN)