National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has arrested two suspected traffickers among Nigerian returnees repatriated from Libya.

Director General, Julie Okah-Donli said two of the suspects were currently under investigation as one of the suspected traffickers; a female, was transferred to NAPTIP’s Lagos Zonal command for questioning.

Okah-Donli, said the agency had set machineries in motion to fish out those involved in the trafficking or smuggling of Nigerians and would be prosecuted accordingly.

According to her, nine pregnant women and five babies were among 972 returnees that have been repatriated.

The director general said among the returnees, Edo has the highest of 533 returnees, Delta with 128 while Yobe has 28.

Others include Ogun and Imo states which have 25 each, Ondo 17 and Oyo state has 15.
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She said 27 states have so far had their indigenes returned, while nine states and Federal Capital Territory(FCT) were yet to record any returnees, saying those states that had no returnees were Borno, Adamawa, Gombe, Taraba, Bauchi, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara and Niger.

Okah-Donli said about 40 personnel of her agency had been deployed to provide various services to the returnees at the Port Harcourt’s camp.

She said those officials include counsellors, caregivers, investigators and public enlightenment officers.

The director general commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his concern and the bold step in the evacuation of the trapped Nigerians in Libya.

She said “this will go into history as the biggest evacuation of Nigerians ever by a Nigerian Government.

“It shows the great interest of the President in the protection of the lives of Nigerian citizens no matter where they are across the globe and irrespective of their immigration status”.