NAPTIP rescues 103 trafficking victims, arrests suspects

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has intensified its crackdown on human trafficking, rescuing at least 103 victims and arresting more than 20 suspects in a series of raids across the country since 2024.

Investigations show that the agency targeted at least eight hotels and similar facilities in Abuja, Kano State, Katsina State, and Anambra State, amid concerns that hospitality centres are increasingly being used to harbour trafficked persons.

In one of the most recent operations on February 12, 2026, operatives from the Kano Zonal Command stormed a hotel in Sabon Gari and rescued seven women aged between 21 and 24 who were allegedly being prepared for trafficking to Baghdad, Iraq. Two suspects were arrested, while another fled.

Days earlier, a raid on a hotel near the 33 area of Onitsha led to the rescue of 17 victims and the arrest of four suspected traffickers, alongside two persons accused of involvement in baby trafficking. Four of the rescued victims tested positive for HIV and are receiving counselling and medical support.

The victims reportedly said they were recruited from several states and forced into prostitution, remitting between N20,000 and N25,000 daily to their handlers.

Earlier operations included the rescue of three victims from a hotel in Katsina, seven Iraq-bound victims from a facility near Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, and 11 underage girls from a three-star hotel in Kwali, Federal Capital Territory. Hotel managers and staff were arrested in several of the cases for allegedly aiding traffickers.

The agency also uncovered suspected “baby factory” and cross-border trafficking operations in parts of Abuja, Gwagwalada and other locations, rescuing dozens of victims, including foreign nationals.

Beyond domestic operations, NAPTIP said it recently repatriated 23 Nigerian youths trafficked to Thailand and neighbouring Southeast Asian countries for cyber-enabled crimes. The victims were reportedly lured with promises of scholarships and jobs before being forced into online fraud schemes.

According to the agency, traffickers are increasingly targeting educated youths with computer and IT skills as well as individuals with clean medical records.

NAPTIP Director-General, Binta Bello, said the agency recorded 93 convictions in 2025 and intercepted over 2,500 potential victims within and outside Nigeria.

She noted that operations had been scaled up to respond to evolving trafficking tactics and warned that traffickers and their collaborators, including hotel operators, would face strict legal consequences.

Stakeholders have also called for stronger public awareness campaigns to help Nigerians identify deceptive recruitment tactics and avoid falling victim to traffickers.