World News

Twenty-four Nigerian slaves return home from Burkina Faso

Twenty-four Nigerian victims of human trafficking are to return home on Tuesday after they were sold into slavery in Benin and then taken to Burkina Faso.

The release and the repatriation of the Nigerians were facilitated by the Nigerian Ambassador to Burkina Faso who contacted the Katsina State government after discovering the plight of his compatriots.

The Katsina State government confirmed that arrangements had been made for the Nigerians to return home after explaining that the victims had not been kidnapped as had been reported in the media.

These Nigerians had been tricked and then sold into slavery in Benin by several Benin citizens, who are at large while their mobile telephone numbers are in the possession of the authorities, the Leadership reported.

However, a Benoise woman, who was one of the individuals responsible for the abductions, has been arrested by the local authorities after she took the human trafficking victims to Gaoua, 150 kilometres from Burkina Faso’s capital Ougadougou where they were held without food or money. The victims have been under the care of the chief of the Hausa community in Ougadougou.

In other news – Meghan Markle visits gender-based violence education club

Meghan Markle is in Johannesburg for the royal family’s second leg of their South African tour. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex landed in Cape Town on 23 September.

Harry and Meghan

They kicked off their tour with a visit to The Justice Desk in Nyanga, where they spoke to young children who have been taught self-defence. Read more

Source: IOL