By Oboh Agbonkhese

Human trafficking is a dent on the country’s image and needed to be removed in line with the change agenda of the Federal Government. This was the position of National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other Related Matters, NAPTIP, at a briefing yesterday.

some of the alleged syndicate

The agency’s Deputy Director and Head, Press and Public Relations, Mr. Josiah Emerole, told newsmen in Lagos that the drive led to the arrest of members of a syndicate involved in trafficking girls to the Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for sexual exploitation.

Mr. Emerole said: “Five suspects, Blessing Gabriel, principal actor, 25; Precious Owoh, 29; Rose Gabriel, 25; Priscilla (Prisca) Effiong Bassey, 33; and Terry Smooth, 38, have been arrested.”

He said the suspects were responsible for the nude videos of their victims that had gone viral on the social media. He said one of the two victims, Ann, was with the agency, while another, Chisom, was out of the reach of her traffickers but in contact with the agency.

Earlier, the agency’s Zonal Commander, Lagos, Mr. Joseph Famakin, said NAPTIP currently has 45 cases at the High Court, seven at the Court of Appeal and two at the Supreme Court.

He added that apart from prosecuting cases of human trafficking and organ harvesting, the agency was involved in enlightenment programme, such as the collaboration with the European Union-backed Encouraging Legal Migration, Discouraging Illegal Migration campaign at border communities.