Nigeria’s anti-trafficking agency has arrested five suspected human traffickers and rescued 24 victims during a major operation at Abuja’s main international airport, including a father accused of attempting to traffic his own daughter to Iraq.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) carried out the operation at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Wednesday, led by the agency’s director-general, Binta Adamu Bello.
Vincent Adekoye, NAPTIP’s national press officer, confirmed the arrests in a statement, revealing that one suspect was a retired senior officer from a major Nigerian law enforcement agency, allegedly a key figure in a trafficking syndicate operating across south-western Nigeria.
The rescued victims, aged between 15 and 26, had been recruited from Kano, Katsina, Oyo, Ondo and Rivers states. They were reportedly being transported to Iraq, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Afghanistan when the operation intercepted them.
The crackdown, described as “decisive and unprecedented”, was based on credible intelligence and caught those involved by surprise, according to officials. Other travellers at the airport reportedly praised the intervention.
The operation comes amid increasing concern about human trafficking in Nigeria, particularly as more young people seek to leave the country – a trend locally referred to as the “japa syndrome”.
In a striking detail, Mr Adekoye said one of the rescued victims had vowed to ensure her father faced prosecution for his alleged role in attempting to traffic her to Iraq.
The operation forms part of NAPTIP’s renewed anti-trafficking strategy, which targets recruitment centres, trafficking hotspots and transit routes across Nigeria.
