In a major breakthrough against human trafficking, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested five suspected traffickers and rescued 24 victims at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The operation, led by NAPTIP Director General Binta Adamu Bello, followed a tip-off from concerned stakeholders about suspicious movements at the airport. Among those arrested is a retired senior security officer, allegedly a key figure in a trafficking syndicate operating across Nigeria’s South-West region.
According to agency spokesperson Vincent Adekoye, the victims—aged between 15 and 26—were recruited from Kano, Kastina, Oyo, Ondo, and Rivers States, and were being trafficked to Iraq, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Afghanistan.
Many victims were unaware of their destination and could only communicate in their local dialects. One victim shared, “They told my mother I was going to Europe to earn dollars. My parents were happy and let me go.” Another vowed to seek justice against her father for deceiving her, saying, “I’m seriously annoyed with my father because he deceived me.”
NAPTIP says the six-hour operation successfully disrupted the trafficking network and reaffirmed its commitment to protecting vulnerable Nigerians from exploitation.
