The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested eight suspects and rescued 29 victims in the Federal Capital Territory.
The operation was carried out at a popular apartment in Gwagwalada, Abuja, after intelligence from a foreign mission alerted authorities to suspicious activity. According to the agency, those rescued were mostly foreign nationals from West African countries who had been lured into exploitation.
NAPTIP spokesperson, Vincent Adekoye, explained that the raid followed an intelligence from the Ghanaian Embassy regarding one of its citizens. According to the embassy, the victim was allegedly recruited in Ghana under false pretenses and transported to Nigeria, where he was subjected to exploitation. The embassy requested the agency’s urgent intervention in line with existing bilateral cooperation agreements and anti-trafficking frameworks.
Adekoye said the victim was allegedly defrauded of USD 3,500 by a suspected trafficking syndicate that had promised him legitimate opportunities in Nigeria. Upon his arrival, his passport and belongings were seized.
He added that the report triggered immediate operational action in compliance with the agency’s mandate to prevent, suppress, and prosecute trafficking in persons as provided under national and international legal frameworks.
During the raid, a total of eight suspects were apprehended. The suspects are believed to be members of an organised trafficking network operating between Ghana and Nigeria, currently in custody, undergoing interrogation.
Twenty-nine people were rescued in the process. He confirmed that the victims comprise 20 females aged between 17–28 and 9 males aged between 18–30 and they were immediately taken into protective custody. Officials also recovered the Ghanaian victim’s passport along with mobile phones, SIM cards, and financial records believed to be linked to the syndicate’s operations.
Further investigation, Adekoye added, showed that the victims had overstayed temporary permits and were trafficked for both sexual exploitation and cybercrime activities.
NAPTIP Director General, Binta Bello, decried the activities of transnational trafficking networks and reiterated the agency’s commitment to delivering justice for victims, dismantling trafficking rings, and strengthening partnerships to end human trafficking.
She praised the swift collaboration between NAPTIP and the Ghanaian Embassy. “The swift intervention by the agency, in collaboration with the Ghanaian Embassy, demonstrates the importance of timely intelligence sharing and coordinated law enforcement response.”
Bello warned traffickers that Nigeria will no longer provide safe ground for their operations. “The suspects in this case will face the full wrath of the law, and just like I warned a few weeks ago, the atmosphere in Nigeria will continue to be tough for them to operate. We shall continue to disrupt their operation, intercept and rescue the victims, and also prosecute them.
“The agency remains committed to its mandate of ensuring justice for victims, dismantling trafficking networks, and strengthening partnerships at both national and international levels to eradicate human trafficking.”
