The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has intercepted 25 women suspected to be victims of labour trafficking en route to Saudi Arabia.
In a statement on Monday August 18th 2025, NAPTIP Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye said the women, aged between 17 and 43, were rescued in front of a hotel in Wuse II, Abuja, where they had gathered awaiting their traffickers.
He said investigations revealed they were recruited from Kano, Jigawa, and Katsina States with false promises of lucrative jobs as domestic workers in the Middle East.
NAPTIP Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, OON, said the operation was part of intensified surveillance targeting trafficking hotspots across state capitals. She disclosed that Abuja has increasingly become a coordination hub for trafficking syndicates.
“The sad aspect is that many of these victims willingly accept the offers without knowing the harrowing exploitation that awaits them. We have disrupted this trafficking process and are closing in on a travel agency suspected to be at the centre of the recruitment,” Bello stated.
The DG also issued a stern warning to the Association of Recruiters, Licensed Placement Agencies of Nigeria, and other regulatory bodies to rein in their members.
“This mindless exploitation must stop. We will not allow traffickers to continue preying on the vulnerable,” she added.
The rescued victims are currently in NAPTIP’s care as investigations continue.
