In a significant breakthrough against cross-border organized crime, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in collaboration with operatives of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), has dismantled a transnational human trafficking syndicate operating within Nigeria. The coordinated operation led to the arrest of three key suspects and the rescue of 20 foreign nationals who had been trafficked into the country from Equatorial Guinea and Togo for the purpose of labour exploitation.
The operation, carried out simultaneously in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Osun, and Nasarawa States, was part of an expanded intelligence and enforcement initiative ordered by NAPTIP Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, OON. The initiative followed rising concerns over the activities of trans-border criminal networks exploiting Nigeria as a destination and transit point for human trafficking.
According to the victims, who were interviewed after their rescue, they had been deceived by the syndicate with promises of lucrative employment in Nigeria. The traffickers also misled them into believing that their relocation was a stepping stone toward traveling to Europe. Upon arrival in Nigeria, however, they were stripped of their identification documents and subjected to exploitative labour conditions.
Vincent Adekoye, Press Officer of NAPTIP, disclosed that the arrests were the result of months of intelligence gathering and surveillance. He said the Agency, under the directive of its Director General, had intensified monitoring activities in key border communities and collaborated closely with sister law enforcement and intelligence agencies to identify and neutralize criminal trafficking cells operating within the country.
In a related development, NAPTIP also rescued a Nigerian victim of trafficking from Senegal, in partnership with the Nigerian Embassy in Dakar. The victim, a university graduate and mother of one, had been lured to Senegal with the promise of a job as a hair stylist and makeup artist. Upon arrival, she was taken to a remote village and forced into prostitution by a woman identified only as “Madam Rose.”
The victim’s ordeal began when she refused to comply with the demands of her trafficker, who then confiscated her passport and identification, leaving her stranded in Kidira, a remote area near the Senegalese border. According to a petition submitted to NAPTIP by a concerned family member, the victim had become emotionally and mentally distressed, with serious concerns raised for her safety and well-being.
Responding swiftly, NAPTIP worked with the Nigerian Embassy in Dakar to secure her rescue. The embassy provided temporary shelter, feeding, and an emergency travel certificate to facilitate her return home. Upon her arrival in Nigeria through the NAPTIP Lagos Command, she was received by officials and placed in a safe environment for medical and psychosocial care.
Vincent Adekoye emphasized that the successful execution of these operations demonstrates the effectiveness of inter-agency collaboration in fighting human trafficking. He quoted the Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, who stated, “These operations were strategic and targeted at dismantling criminal trafficking rings that have turned Nigeria into a hub for human exploitation. We will continue this offensive until every trafficking network is brought down.”
Bello also thanked the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye, for his continued support, as well as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Nigerian Immigration Service, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their roles in facilitating the operations and the safe repatriation of the rescued victim.
She disclosed that a manhunt is now underway to apprehend “Madam Rose” and bring her to justice through coordinated efforts with Senegalese authorities.
“This is only the beginning,” Bello warned. “We are expanding our efforts across all regions of Nigeria and enhancing cooperation with regional partners to combat the menace of human trafficking wherever it exists.”
With the rescue of the woman from Senegal, the total number of victims rescued by NAPTIP from foreign trafficking situations within the last week has risen to 21.