The Kano State Hisbah Board has foiled an attempt to traffic four unsuspecting women to Saudi Arabia.

The victims were to be transported from Kano to Lagos, Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana before being smuggled to Saudi Arabia by the traffickers.

The Deputy Commander-General of Hisbah, Mujahideen Aminudeen, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday while explaining that the women were lured into believing they would secure their visas and travel documents in Ghana before being taken to Saudi Arabia for job opportunities.

According to him, Hisbah operatives intercepted the syndicate behind the operation along Zaria Road in Kano State on Sunday.

The leader of the trafficking ring, identified by Hisbah as Bashir Sani Ibrahim, was apprehended by a Hisbah officer, Muhammadul Bashir, said the statement.

The victims includes Harira Muhammad, 30, from Jigawa State; Sailuba Ibrahim, 30, from Kano; Rakiya Umar, 30, also from Kano; and Hadiza Muhammad, 35, from Yobe State.

The Hisbah boss revealed that each victim had paid the sum of N2 million to the traffickers, with the agreement to complete the payment of a balance of N1.5 million once their visas were processed.

He added that, “This Is what we have always been warning people against. You agree to travel without knowing where you are going. People are deceived, and their hard-earned money is taken away from them.

“When they reach those countries, some are forced into prostitution, some are used for drug trafficking without their knowledge, and some end up in inhumane conditions.”

He advised Nigerians to reconsider such dangerous ventures, stressing that the money they risk losing could be better invested in business opportunities at home.

“If you have N2m that is enough to start a decent business here. Even with N3.5 million, you can establish yourself in any legitimate trade. But people allow themselves to be deceived, only to end up in regret,” he added.

The Deputy Commander-General further expressed gratitude that the attempt was foiled, noting that the victims might have been lost without a trace had they succeeded in leaving the country. “Alhamdulillah, the attempt was stopped.

“We have collected their details, including passports, and handed them over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). We will continue to monitor the case until It is concluded,” he affirmed. (Daily Sun)