The Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Adamu Bello, has said the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, is becoming a comfort zone for human traffickers.
She made the declaration on Wednesday when she led an operation to the airport, which led to the rescue of 24 victims of human trafficking and the arrest of five suspected trafficking agents.
The victims whose ages range between 15 years and 26 years were recruited from Kano, Kastina, Oyo, Ondo, and Rivers States, and were heading to Iraq, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Afghanistan.
According to a statement in Abuja by the press officer of NAPTIP, Vincent Adekoye, one of the suspected human traffickers, was a retired senior law enforcement officer in Nigeria.
The suspect is alleged to be a prominent member of the trafficking syndicate operating within the South West region of Nigeria.
On how the raid was carried out, the Agency stated, “The latest raid followed a tip-off from concerned stakeholders and partners who alerted us to an influx of suspected human trafficking victims at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, and the unwholesome activities of some suspected traffickers.
“At the end of nearly 6 hours of operation, the human trafficking activities were completely disrupted, leading to the arrest of five suspected traffickers and the rescue of 24 suspected victims.
“The victims whose ages range between 15 years and 26 years were recruited from Kano, Kastina, Oyo, Ondo, and Rivers States, and were heading to Iraq, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Afghanistan.
“While a good number of the victims could not communicate in any other language apart from their dialect, others do not even know the location of their intended Country of destination”.
According to NAPTIP, one of the victims said, “They told my mother that they are taking me to Europe, where I will work and earn dollars. My parents were happy and they allowed me to follow them”.
Another victim vowed to ensure the prosecution of her father for deceiving her into embarking on the journey after she watched a series of videos of the conditions of trafficked people.
The victim, whose father was among the traffickers arrested, said in her local dialect: “I struggled to hold my emotions while watching the video of those girls who were being maltreated and beaten by the traffickers. If that is what awaits me there, I will not go. I am seriously annoyed with my father because he deceived me. My father told me his friend has a job for me at a supermarket in Baghdad. He did not tell me that it is in Iraq.
“I know that Iraq is not a good place to work right now due to the crisis there, but I did not know that Baghdad is in Iraq. I thank DG and her Officers for rescuing me. Please, I just need my passport. I want to go back to my town and settle. I will certainly make it in Nigeria rather than suffer in another country.”
The Director General of NAPTIP expressed sadness over the activities of some suspected human traffickers and unregistered labour recruiters who have continued to deceive, recruit, and traffic Nigerians for various forms of exploitation.
She said, “I am impressed with the outcome of the operation today because we were able to arrest five suspected members of the trafficking gang that have been recruiting and trafficking our citizens to various tension-soaked countries, especially in the Middle East, for exploitation.
“We observed that the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport is becoming a comfort zone for these traffickers, and that is why we have decided to shift attention to this airport. We will sustain this raid until they stop this unpatriotic and illicit trade in human beings.
“I was amazed that a father, who is a retired Law Enforcement Officer of senior Cadre, deceived his daughter and packaged her to be trafficked to Iraq for exploitation. This is incredibly unbelievable. Well, all of them will be thoroughly investigated, and they will face the law.
Bello commended the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the manager of Abuja airport, Department of State Service (DSS) operatives at the Airport, the Airport Security Personnel, Immigration Officers, and airline operators for their support.
She said, “Human trafficking is a visible national concern, and we all must be on the same page to turn the heat on the traffickers. Our resolve to ensure the protection of Nigerians from all forms of exploitation is firm and resolute.”
