Operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have dismantled an inter-state human trafficking syndicate operating from a popular hotel in Katsina metropolis, rescued three young women and arrested three suspects linked to the illicit network.
The sting operation, carried out by the Katsina State Command of NAPTIP, followed intelligence on the activities of traffickers who specialize in recruiting and transporting young women from various parts of the country to the North for sexual exploitation. The hotel manager and two staff members were also arrested during the raid.
According to preliminary findings, the rescued victims aged between 21 and 26 years hail from Benue and Rivers States. They were discovered in a cramped room within the hotel complex, while the suspected traffickers were found lounging in another part of the premises.
The victims narrated how they were deceived with promises of decent employment, only to be coerced into prostitution on arrival.
“I was brought here by a woman who promised to get us a good job,” one of the victims said. “But when we arrived, we were forced into prostitution. We sleep with up to 20 men daily, and even during our monthly period or when sick, we are not spared. They give us Fearless energy drinks every evening to keep us awake and sexually active. All the money goes to a woman called Amarachi, and we are left to cater for ourselves.”
They also alleged that the traffickers employed male informants to monitor and prevent their escape, while financially crippling them to ensure dependence and control.
Reacting to the development, the Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, commended the Katsina Command for the successful operation. She expressed concern over the increasing use of hotels and brothels as hideouts for human traffickers, warning that the agency would not hesitate to prosecute any establishment found culpable.
“These victims were trafficked, deceived, and subjected to extreme abuse. It is unacceptable that such evil was being perpetrated in a licensed hospitality facility,” Bello said. “We have initiated legal action, and the hotel involved will face sanctions in line with the provisions of the trafficking law.”
She reaffirmed her earlier directive to NAPTIP commands across the country to intensify surveillance in hotels, motor parks, and drinking joints as part of efforts to combat trafficking networks.
The agency confirmed that investigations are ongoing and the suspects will be prosecuted accordingly.
