NAPTIP Stops Trafficking Of 13 Ladies To Iraq

NAPTIP has intercepted 13 women at Abuja airport, preventing their trafficking to Iraq, where they were allegedly being sent for forced labor and exploitation.

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has intercepted 13 women suspected to be victims of human trafficking at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

The women, aged between 19 and 39, were reportedly being trafficked to Baghdad, Iraq, for forced labor and sexual exploitation.

According to a statement from the agency, the victims were recruited under false pretenses by unregistered labor recruiters linked to a larger criminal network operating between Nigeria and the Middle East. The interception was made possible due to a tip-off from concerned individuals who noticed unusual movements at the airport’s departure lounge.

Hajia Binta Adamu-Bello, the Director-General of NAPTIP, who was present during the operation, expressed concern over the increasing deception used by traffickers. She urged parents and guardians to be vigilant and not fall for fake job offers promising better opportunities abroad.

“Our action is in line with the Trafficking in Persons (Control of Activities of Organisations and Centres) Regulations 2019, which allows NAPTIP to issue clearance certificates to travel agents or tour operators for labor recruitment, education, sports, and cultural programs,” she stated.

She further explained that the case was particularly troubling because the trafficked women had been issued only 60-day visas, yet they signed a two-year labor contract. “This means that once their visa expires, they will be at the mercy of their employers, losing all legal rights, including their right to demand salaries,” she added.

Investigation revealed that the women were promised $250 per month, but they were required to surrender four months’ wages to recruiters in Nigeria and an additional sum to agents in Iraq. Many past victims of similar schemes reported receiving wages only for a few months before being abandoned in harsh conditions.

Adamu-Bello emphasized that many trafficked victims have suffered life-threatening injuries, illnesses, and abuses in these exploitative conditions. She warned that the agency would continue to crack down on traffickers and prevent more individuals from becoming victims.

In a related development, NAPTIP operatives also raided and sealed off a hotel in Kwali, Abuja, where 11 underage girls were being sexually exploited. The hotel owner was arrested, while some staff members managed to escape.

The agency has vowed to intensify efforts to track down all those involved in human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

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