The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons said it arrested no fewer than five suspected human traffickers and rescued 24 victims at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, among whom was a father who attempted to traffic his daughter to Baghdad, Iraq.

The NAPTIP National Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

This is coming amid growing concern about the rise in cases of human trafficking, especially with the rise in the japa syndrome.

According to Adekoye, the operation, which was based on credible intelligence, was led by the agency’s Director General, Binta Adamu Bello.

He noted that among the suspects was a retired senior security agent, allegedly a prominent member of the syndicate within the South-West region of the country.

The statement read, “In a decisive and unprecedented crackdown that caught all actors unaware, the Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Binta Adamu Bello, today (Wednesday) led a high-powered special operation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, resulting in the dramatic rescue of 24 victims of human trafficking and the arrest of five suspected trafficking agents.

“Among the suspected human traffickers arrested at the airport was a retired senior uniform officer with one of the foremost law enforcement agencies in Nigeria, who is alleged to be a prominent member of the trafficking syndicate operating within the South-West region of Nigeria.

“The well-planned action, which was hailed by other travellers at the airport, was a continuation of the newly unveiled anti-human trafficking efforts and onslaught against human trafficking by the Director General, targeting recruitment hubs, trafficking spots, and routes within Nigeria.”

Adekoye noted that the victims were young persons between the ages of 15 and 26 who had been recruited from Kano, Katsina, Oyo, Ondo, and Rivers states, and were heading to Iraq, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Afghanistan.

While quoting the victims, Adekoye noted that one of the victims vowed to ensure that her father was prosecuted for attempting to traffic her to Iraq.

He added that another victim disclosed that her mother was lured into believing that she was going to Europe to work and earn in dollars.

“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 that his friend had 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,” Adekoye quoted the victim as saying.

He noted that the victim appealed to be returned to her hometown.

Reacting, the NAPTIP DG 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.

“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,” Adekoye quoted Bello as saying.

PUNCH Metro reported on 18 August that NAPTIP intercepted 25 women suspected to be victims of human trafficking while attempting to travel to Saudi Arabia for labour exploitation.

The women, aged between 17 and 43, were picked up by operatives of the agency on Monday in front of a popular hotel in Wuse II, Abuja, where they had gathered to meet their trafficker. (PUNCH)