NAPTIP Arrests 5 Suspected Traffickers, Rescues 24 Victims
THECONSCIENCE NG reports that the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested five suspected human traffickers and rescued 24 victims in a special operation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
In a statement released on Wednesday by NAPTIP’s National Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, the operation—described as “high-powered”—is part of the agency’s renewed crackdown on human trafficking across the country.
Among those arrested was a retired senior officer from one of Nigeria’s foremost law enforcement agencies, alleged to be a key member of a trafficking syndicate operating in the South West region.
According to the statement, the operation marks a continuation of NAPTIP’s aggressive nationwide campaign under the leadership of Director General Binta Adamu Bello, targeting recruitment hubs, trafficking hotspots, and major exit routes within Nigeria.
The latest raid followed credible intelligence from stakeholders and partners, who alerted the agency to the presence of suspected trafficking victims and traffickers at the Abuja airport. NAPTIP said its operatives disrupted the trafficking activity after nearly six hours of surveillance and intervention.
The 24 rescued victims, aged between 15 and 26, were recruited from states including Kano, Katsina, Oyo, Ondo, and Rivers. They were en route to countries such as Iraq, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Afghanistan—many of which are considered high-risk zones for exploitation.
Some victims were unable to communicate in any language other than their local dialects, while others had no clear understanding of their intended destinations.
“They told my mother I was going to Europe to work and earn dollars. My parents were happy and allowed me to go,” one victim recounted.
In a dramatic twist at NAPTIP’s headquarters, one of the victims, upon learning the realities of human trafficking through a series of video clips shown by the DG, expressed anger at her father—one of the arrested suspects—who had allegedly deceived her.
“I struggled to hold my emotions watching those videos of girls being beaten and maltreated,” she said tearfully.
“My father told me I was going to work at a supermarket in Baghdad. He never said it was Iraq. If I knew, I would never have agreed. I thank NAPTIP for rescuing me. I just want my passport back so I can return to my town and start afresh. I’ll rather make it here than suffer in a strange land.”
Reacting to the operation, NAPTIP Director General Binta Adamu Bello condemned the continued activities of human traffickers and unregistered labour recruiters exploiting vulnerable Nigerians.
“I’m impressed with the outcome of today’s operation. We arrested five suspected members of a trafficking gang involved in recruiting and trafficking Nigerians—especially to conflict zones in the Middle East—for exploitation,” Bello stated.
“It’s appalling that a retired senior law enforcement officer could deceive his own daughter and attempt to traffic her to Iraq. All suspects will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law.”
She further noted that the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport has increasingly become a hub for trafficking activities, prompting heightened surveillance and enforcement actions.
Bello expressed gratitude to the Director General of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the airport management, and other collaborating agencies—including the Department of State Services (DSS), airport security personnel, immigration officers, and airline operators—for their support during the operation.
“Human trafficking is a pressing national issue. Our commitment to protecting Nigerians from exploitation is unwavering, and we will continue to work with stakeholders to dismantle trafficking networks,” she declared.
