…as joint operation with DIA leads to arrests across three states

By Favour Ulebor

ABUJA — The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in collaboration with the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), has arrested three suspected members of a transnational human trafficking syndicate and rescued 20 foreign victims trafficked into Nigeria.

In a press statement signed by NAPTIP’s Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, recently, the agency said the coordinated operation was carried out in the Federal Capital Territory, Osun and Nasarawa States, targeting key players in the trafficking network believed to have moved victims from the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and Togo into Nigeria for forced labour.

The agency noted that the victims, lured with promises of high-paying jobs and eventual relocation to Europe, were deceived and subjected to various forms of labour exploitation upon arrival in Nigeria.

The statement added that the successful operation was part of an ongoing nationwide crackdown, following a directive from NAPTIP’s Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, OON, to intensify surveillance and cooperation with other law enforcement agencies.

In a related development, NAPTIP also rescued a Nigerian woman trafficked to Senegal under false pretences.

The victim, a graduate and single mother, was promised a job as a hair stylist but was instead forced into prostitution by a trafficker identified as “Madam Rose.”

After she refused to comply, the trafficker allegedly confiscated her identification documents and threw her out, leaving her stranded in Kidira, a remote area in Senegal.

According to a petition from her family, the victim endured emotional and psychological torment, leading to serious mental distress.

NAPTIP said it acted swiftly, working closely with the Nigerian Embassy in Dakar and other partners to secure her safe return.

She arrived in Lagos just hours before the statement was released.

Commenting on the development, the Director General of NAPTIP described the operations as a reflection of growing synergy between security and intelligence agencies in Nigeria.

She said, “The operation was strategic and targeted at transnational organized criminal elements that are now making Nigeria an attractive human trafficking destination. These individuals deceive victims with promises of employment, only to exploit them upon arrival,” she said.

On the case from Senegal, Bello noted, “She is lucky to be alive, even though extremely traumatized. We have launched a manhunt for the trafficker, and are working with law enforcement in Senegal to ensure she is brought to justice.”

The Director General also commended the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigerian Immigration Service, and the Nigerian Embassy in Senegal for their support and collaboration.

With these latest efforts, the total number of trafficking victims rescued and received by NAPTIP in the past week now stands at 21.