The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Mrs. Binta Adamu Bello, OON, has declared that the year 2026 will be particularly tough for human traffickers operating in Nigeria, as the agency intensifies efforts to dismantle trafficking networks nationwide.
Speaking at the NAPTIP headquarters in Abuja during a review of the agency’s activities in 2025 and its strategic focus for 2026, the Director-General said NAPTIP is set to review and strengthen its counter-trafficking strategies and policies to enhance operational effectiveness and close existing gaps exploited by traffickers.
According to her, the agency secured the conviction of 93 human traffickers in 2025 and intercepted over 2,500 potential victims who had been deceived and recruited for various forms of exploitation within and outside the country. She added that many of the rescued victims were rehabilitated, while over 120 suspected trafficked children were rescued from illegal orphanages and care homes across the country.
Mrs. Bello attributed the achievements recorded in 2025 to heightened surveillance, increased vigilance, and improved coordination across NAPTIP commands nationwide, following her directive for more proactive operations. She noted that the intensified approach led to significant gains in interception, rescue operations, partnerships, public awareness, prosecution, and convictions.
Describing 2025 as a difficult year for traffickers, the NAPTIP boss said the agency successfully outmaneuvered criminal networks, resulting in an unprecedented number of convictions despite the complex and lengthy nature of trafficking prosecutions. She disclosed that several high-profile traffickers were arrested, prosecuted, and convicted, while others remain under close surveillance.
She further revealed that in collaboration with international partners and stakeholders, NAPTIP rescued more than 370 Nigerian victims of human trafficking from countries including Ghana, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire, among others.
Looking ahead, Mrs. Bello warned that traffickers should expect even tougher enforcement in 2026, as the agency scales up operations to respond to evolving trends and emerging challenges. She said NAPTIP would deepen collaboration with sister law enforcement agencies, development partners, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders to strengthen the national response to human trafficking.
She also announced plans to expand cooperation with actors across the three tiers of government and non-state institutions, including the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), to enhance grassroots surveillance, early detection, and community-level interventions against trafficking.
The Director-General added that the agency would seek stronger engagement with the legislative arm at both national and state levels, the executive through state governors and their spouses, and the judiciary, to reinforce legal and institutional support for anti-trafficking efforts.
While appreciating the support received in 2025, Mrs. Bello reaffirmed NAPTIP’s commitment to sustained public enlightenment and awareness campaigns in 2026, particularly in hard-to-reach communities, to reduce vulnerability and build resistance against traffickers’ tactics.
She disclosed that within the first few days of 2026, the agency had already secured the conviction of three human traffickers, warning that more arrests and jail terms would follow unless perpetrators abandon their criminal activities.
The assurance, she said, remains that NAPTIP will continue to pursue traffickers relentlessly and make Nigeria an increasingly hostile environment for human trafficking.
2026 Will Be Unbearable for Human Traffickers in Nigeria – NAPTIP DG
