Seven young women, suspected to be victims of human trafficking have been rescued by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Jigawa, state comptroller Ismail Baba told reporters on Friday in Dutse.

Six of the ladies are from different southern states of the country.

Mr Baba, said the victims were rescued at Gurai village in Babura Local Government Area of the state.

He said the victims, aged between 16 and 27, were apprehended on May 5 at about 3:00 p.m. on their way to Tripoli, Libya.

He explained that one of them was from Lagos, two from Ogun, one from Kwara, two from Imo and one from Oyo.

Mr Baba further said two of the victims were in possession of blank Nigerian International Passports, one with an unendorsed ECOWAS Travel Certificate, while the remaining four had no travel documents.

“It has become necessary to inform you about the intended trafficking of persons. The victims were apprehended at Gurai village on Babura Road; they were on their way to Tripoli in Libya.

“The victims were apprehended at about 1500hrs on May 5 by Operation Salama Team A of the NIS, Jigawa State Command, operating along Kazaure, Babura and Ringim axis,’’ Mr Baba said.

The comptroller said that during interrogation, they confessed to be traveling to Tripoli in Libya through Niger Republic.

“They individually went from their various states to Kano where they met and began their journey to Libya, through Niger Republic.

“The Comptroller General (CG) of Immigration Service has directed that the victims be handed over to the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP),’’ he added.

The Police Command in Jigawa on March 31 rescued three women in the Babura axis of the state suspected to have been trafficked from Plateau.