The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Adamu Bello, OON, has declared that 2026 will be a very difficult year for human traffickers in Nigeria, as the Agency moved to strengthen its counter-trafficking strategies and enforcement nationwide.
This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday by the National Press Officer of the Agency, Vincent Adekoye, in which the Director-General disclosed that NAPTIP secured the conviction of 93 human traffickers in 2025, intercepted over 2,500 potential victims, and rescued more than 120 trafficked children, many of whom have since been rehabilitated.
Bello made the disclosure while reviewing the Agency’s activities for the 2025 operational year and outlining its strategic focus for 2026 at the NAPTIP headquarters in Abuja.
According to the statement, the Director-General attributed the recorded successes to increased monitoring, intelligence-driven operations, and heightened vigilance across all NAPTIP commands following her directive for intensified field activities.
“The year 2025 was unpleasant for human traffickers in the country. We outsmarted them and their antics, resulting in the impressive number of convictions recorded. Securing 93 convictions is remarkable, considering the rigorous process involved in prosecuting and convicting a single trafficker,” Bello was quoted as saying.
She revealed that NAPTIP pursued several high-profile traffickers, including operators of some orphanages and care homes across the country whose alleged illegal activities were uncovered, leading to the rescue of over 120 suspected trafficked children. Some suspects, she added, remain under close surveillance.
The Director-General further disclosed that in collaboration with international partners and other stakeholders, over 370 Nigerian victims of human trafficking were rescued from countries including Ghana, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire.
Bello warned traffickers that 2026 would be even tougher, noted that the Agency has scaled up its operations to address evolving trends in human trafficking.
She said NAPTIP would strengthen collaboration with sister law enforcement agencies, development partners, civil society organisations, and non-state actors, including the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), to improve grassroots surveillance and early detection.
The Director-General added that the Agency would seek stronger engagement with the National and State Assemblies, state governors and their spouses, and the judiciary, while expanding awareness and enlightenment programmes in hard-to-reach and vulnerable communities.
Bello disclosed that within days of the new year, NAPTIP has already secured three convictions, warned that more traffickers would be sent to jail unless they desist from criminal activities.
