Worried by the frequency with which Katsina State citizens fall victims of human trafficking, Governor Aminu Bello Masari has hinted of plans by his administration to reintroduce regular census so as to keep tab on the activities of parents vis-a-vis the movement of their children.
Spokesperson to the governor, Abdul Labaran Malumfashi in a statement said the governor received 23 victims of human trafficking, 20 of whom were intercepted at A.Y.A. Junction in Abuja, ostensibly on their way to Keffi, Nasarawa State to enrol in the traditional Islamic school system.
The 23 victims, among them three young girls intercepted at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, supposedly on their way to Saudi Arabia for Umra, were brought to the Katsina Government House by three officials of NAPTIP, led by Alhaji Shehu Umar, the Head of the Kano Zonal office.
Governor Masari said the government would collaborate with the traditional institution to reintroduce a periodic head count in the state with a view to not only keeping tab on the demographic situation, but also to monitor the conduct of parents towards their children.
He said the move became pertinent so as to keep parents alert to their responsibilities towards their children, blaming parents’ indifference towards the wellbeing of their children for the involvement of small children in street begging and human trafficking.
Describing street begging as a very dangerous trend that does not auger well to the society, he assured that his administration would step up efforts to work with the traditional institution to make the state less amenable to the almajiri menace.
He said a more involved traditional institution would make for a more organized, safe and secure space because of its vast knowledge of its respective terrain and the people therein.
Accordingly, the government would not hesitate to wield the big stick against parents who abandon their responsibility to their children to the mercy of the society as they go street begging.
According to the Governor, it’s the responsibility of parents to bring up their children in conformity with the norms and standards acceptable to the society.
On its part, his administration would shore up its commitment towards education, by continuing to pullout all the stops to restore the lost glory of the state in the sector, pointing out that no society can develop ahead of the level of the education of its citizenry.
The Kano Zonal Director of NAPTIP had earlier informed the Governor that three of the 20 male victims were nationals of the neighbouring Niger Republic, whereas the rest and the three girls are Nigerians from Kaita, Mai’adua, Baure and Katsina local government areas in the state.