The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has intercepted 13 Nigerian girls at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as they attempted to travel to Baghdad, Iraq, for suspected forced labor and sexual exploitation.
The victims, aged between 19 and 39, were allegedly recruited by unregistered labor agents suspected to be part of a larger human trafficking network operating between Nigeria and the Middle East. Their interception followed a tip-off from concerned individuals who noticed their unusual behavior at the airport’s departure lounge.
In another crackdown, NAPTIP operatives sealed off a popular Three Stars Hotel in Kwali, Abuja, and rescued 11 underage girls reportedly being used for sexual exploitation. The hotel owner was arrested, while some staff members managed to escape.
Speaking on the operations, NAPTIP’s Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, expressed concern over the increasing activities of unregistered labor recruiters in Nigeria.
“This case is particularly worrisome because these girls were deceived with false job promises in Iraq by agents operating illegally. Many victims sent abroad under such conditions end up stranded, abused, or even seriously injured,” Bello stated.
She further revealed that the intercepted victims were issued only 60-day visas but had signed two-year labor contracts, effectively leaving them without legal protection once their visas expired. According to investigations, the victims were to earn $250 per month but were required to remit their first four months’ salary to their recruiters in Nigeria and Iraq.
“It is heartbreaking that while some victims are still stranded in war-torn countries crying for help, others are unknowingly walking into the same trap,” Bello lamented.
The NAPTIP boss reiterated the agency’s commitment to tackling human trafficking and called for stricter regulations on labor recruitment. She also commended security personnel at the Abuja airport, airline officials, and law enforcement agencies for their cooperation in the operation.
The agency has launched further investigations to track down the recruiters behind these trafficking attempts.
