The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested five suspected human traffickers and rescued 24 victims during a major operation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The operation, personally led by the Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, OON, lasted nearly six hours and was described as a decisive move in the agency’s intensified campaign against human trafficking.
According to a statement by NAPTIP’s National Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, one of those arrested was a retired senior officer of a prominent law enforcement agency, alleged to be a key member of a trafficking syndicate operating in Nigeria’s South West region.
The victims, aged between 15 and 26, were reportedly recruited from Kano, Katsina, Oyo, Ondo, and Rivers States and were en route to Iraq, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Afghanistan. Many of them, officials said, had little knowledge of their destinations and could only communicate in their local dialects.
Adekoye revealed that the raid followed a tip-off about unusual movements at the airport. “The action disrupted trafficking activities at the airport and prevented another group of Nigerians from being trafficked abroad for exploitation,” he said.
One of the rescued victims accused her father—among those arrested—of deceiving her into the journey. “He told me I would work at a supermarket in Baghdad. I didn’t even know Baghdad was in Iraq. I am grateful to NAPTIP for rescuing me,” she said.
Speaking after the operation, NAPTIP’s Director General, Bello, expressed dismay at the involvement of family members and even a retired law enforcement officer in the illicit trade. “It is shocking that a father would package his daughter for trafficking to Iraq. This is incredibly unbelievable. But we will ensure all the suspects face justice,” she said.
Bello vowed that NAPTIP would sustain surveillance and raids at airports, motor parks, and other known trafficking hubs. She commended the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Department of State Services (DSS), immigration officers, and airline operators for their support during the operation.
“Human trafficking is a grave national concern, and we are resolute in our determination to protect Nigerians from exploitation,” she declared.
