The Katsina State Government, in collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, has rescued a 13-year-old girl, Rahama Sanusi, from a suspected human trafficker.
The rescue was confirmed on Tuesday by the state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hadiza Yar’adua, during Rahama’s handover.
The operation was also supported by the Katsina State Ministry of Women Affairs.
According to Yar’adua, Rahama had been living in Kano State for seven years under the care of her late mother’s sister. She explained that the girl was eventually trafficked to Makurdi, Benue State, before NAPTIP intervened.
“The ministry received a distressing message on social media on February 16 that the girl had been abducted from Katsina. We quickly began investigations and reached out to her father the same day,” Yar’adua said.
She emphasized the need for parents to take full responsibility for their children, despite life’s difficulties.
“I’m not saying relatives shouldn’t help, but parents should still be actively involved in their children’s upbringing. This case is just one of many, and we are committed to working with NAPTIP and other agencies to protect underage children,” she added.
Sanusi Ahmed, Rahama’s father, expressed his gratitude to the ministry and NAPTIP for reuniting him with his daughter. He revealed that he had tried several times to bring Rahama back home, but her caregiver had always refused.
“Even before this happened, I had been asking to speak with Rahama, but her caregiver kept telling me not to worry. I recently asked to take her back home, but the woman insisted she was in school. I later heard Rahama went missing after school hours,” Ahmed explained.
He urged other parents to be more involved in their children’s lives, no matter their financial situation.
“I thank the Ministry of Women Affairs and NAPTIP. I couldn’t have gone to Benue State on my own to find my daughter. I want to tell parents to never give up on caring for their children, no matter how small their income is,” he added.
The Commissioner assured that the suspect would face strict punishment to serve as a deterrent.
“We will continue to work with NAPTIP, the girl child department, and the ministry of justice to protect children from trafficking. We hope the suspect gets a heavy punishment,” Yar’adua stated.
The Katsina State Government reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with UNICEF, NAPTIP, and other partners to tackle the issue of out-of-school children and protect vulnerable youths in the state.
