LIVE UPDATES
The Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has voiced concern regarding the level of deception employed by traffickers and urged parents and guardians to remain vigilant about false promises concerning their children and wards.
This comes as the Agency has achieved significant success in combating the trafficking of Nigerians to foreign countries for undesirable purposes.
Recently, the Agency thwarted the trafficking of Nigerians intended for Iraq, intercepted 13 victims at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), sealed a well-known hotel in Kwali, and rescued 11 underage victims of sexual exploitation.
In a press release signed by Press Officer of NAPTIP, Vincent Adekoye, it was stated, “With the assistance of partners, NAPTIP has intercepted 13 girls suspected of being victims of human trafficking on their way to Baghdad, Iraq for sexual and labor exploitation.”
According to the statement, “The ages of the girls range from 19 to 39 years old and they were reportedly deceived and recruited by some anonymous unregistered labor recruiters who are suspected to be part of a larger criminal labor recruiting syndicate operating between Nigeria and certain Middle Eastern countries. They were intercepted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, just before their flight to Iraq.”
“Additionally, the Agency’s operatives sealed a popular three-star hotel situated in the bustling community of Kwali, located within the Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and rescued 11 underage girls who were suspected of being used for sexual exploitation. Unfortunately for the hotel owner, she was apprehended while other supporting staff managed to escape.”
“This incident occurred just a month after NAPTIP operatives raided a private apartment within one of Abuja’s upscale estates, rescuing nine pregnant girls believed to be victims of human trafficking.”
“The interception of the Iraq-bound girls was prompted by a tip-off from concerned partners who noticed the unusual presence of unknown individuals at the airport’s departure lounge with some fearful-looking girls all providing the same answer to various questions about their destination, leading to an immediate alert to the Agency.
Speaking about the incident, NAPTIP Director General Binta Adamu Bello, who was present during the interception of the first group of five girls at the Airport while on her way to Adamawa for official duties, expressed disappointment over the level of deceit exhibited by traffickers and advised parents and guardians to be cautious of false promises made to their children and wards.
The Director General remarked, “I want to emphasize that our actions align with the provisions of the Trafficking in Persons (Control of Activities of Organizations and Centres) Regulations 2019, which authorizes NAPTIP to issue clearance certificates to travel agents or tour operators and prospective travelers for educational trips, labor recruitment, sporting events, cultural activities, or competitions, as well as to organizations, shelters, and homes providing rehabilitation services for trafficked individuals.”
“The current case is tragic because these girls were misled and recruited for a supposed job in Baghdad by unlicensed labor recruiters who are not recognized by any legal authority in Nigeria. This means that if anything were to happen to these individuals, we would be unable to hold anyone accountable since they are undocumented laborers. Furthermore, they were issued a 60-day visa yet signed a two-year labor agreement with their recruiters. This effectively places them at the mercy of their employers as soon as their visa expires, stripping them of all legal rights to demand anything, including their rightful salary.”
“Investigation has revealed that they are offered a monthly wage of 250 dollars by their employers, which requires them to remit four months' salary to the agent in Nigeria and another substantial amount to the agent in Iraq. According to the testimonies of numerous victims who have endured similar experiences, they seldom received their pay as expected, often only getting compensated for four or five months during the agreed two-year contract period. The main conflict with employers arises when they request payment for their wages.”
“It is distressing that while an unspecified number of victims remain in those perilous and war-torn countries seeking help, these girls are willingly embarking on a dangerous journey into the unknown. We are greatly concerned about this situation, as some recently rescued individuals returned home with life-threatening medical conditions while others bore concerning injuries and lasting scars inflicted by their captors.”
“We cannot ignore the plight of these individuals and risk adding them to the statistics of stranded victims who are pleading for assistance on social media. We are also actively searching for the unscrupulous unregistered recruiters responsible for these situations. While we deeply appreciate the management of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, especially the airport manager and their security personnel, as well as the officials from the various airlines and sister law enforcement agencies who have provided various forms of support, we urge for more cooperation to help rescue these girls from the deceitful schemes of ruthless traffickers,” stated the Director General.
