The service said the girls were to be trafficked to Lebanon, Cairo, Dubai and India on Ethiopian, Peace, Egypt and East Airlines.
The Nigeria Immigration Service has intercepted an attempt to traffic nine girls out of the country through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The service said the girls were to be trafficked to Lebanon, Cairo, Dubai and India on Ethiopian, Peace, Egypt and East Airlines.
Public Relations Officer of immigration, Mr Sunday James, in a statement on Saturday said that four of the girls after interrogation claimed that they were traveling out of Nigeria to take up employments without knowing their employers or the nature of jobs they were going out of the country for.
The statement said two of the girls claimed that they were embarking on visitation trip to India for medical treatment but were not in possession of referral letters from any hospitals in the country.
Also, at first, the two could not explain the nature of the ailments they had, but later claimed they had malaria fever.
However, after much interrogation by its personnel at the airport, they confessed “to be going to India to hustle”.
The other two said they were on a trip to Dubai for visit but later confessed they were going to Dubai for “hustling”.
James hinted that the trafficking was organised by agents aimed at exploiting their innocence and ignorance.
He added, “Considering that the nine girls had no credible mission for embarking on the failed journey, they were refused departure to save their lives and dignity.
“The Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, is calling on parents to be wary of juicy offers to their children by family members and non-family members to take their children abroad on a deceitful planned trip for employment, studies or visit which may end up in exploitation or death.”
He emphasised that immigration officials at various entry and exit points would not permit any irregular travelling out of the country.