The Nigerian Navy (NN) has arrested two suspected human traffickers and rescued 18 victims in the Rijiyar Lemu area of Kano.

A statement signed by the Director of Naval Information, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, said the rescue operation took place at about 10.00 pm on Saturday.

He said the rescue followed a tip-off from a naval officer in the Finance and Logistics College, Dawakin Tofa, whose sister was recently trafficked through Kano en route to Libya and France.

According to him, upon receipt of the information, the college's internal security team mounted a detailed reconnaissance of the Rijiyar Lemu and Bachirawa areas where the victims were locked up in an uncompleted building.

He said that two of the suspected traffickers were subsequently arrested while others are on the run.

Ayo-Vaughan said that the 18 victims were rescued and taken to the college for medical examination and other necessary attention.

“The victims had been handed over to the Kano Zonal office of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons for necessary action” he added.