The Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour Nigeria has commended the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons for rescuing 24 victims of human trafficking and apprehending five suspected traffickers in Abuja.
The commendation was contained in a statement signed by NACTAL National President, Mr Abdulganiyu Abubakar, and made available to journalists on Thursday in Sokoto.
Established in 2005, NACTAL is a coalition of over 150 NGOs working to protect children and vulnerable persons from exploitation.
Civil society groups such as NACTAL play a critical role in supporting NAPTIP’s mandate.
Abubakar described the rescue as a demonstration of NAPTIP’s professionalism and commitment to the fight against human trafficking in Nigeria.
He stressed that trafficking, abuse, and exploitation are grave crimes that strip victims of their dignity and fundamental rights.
“NACTAL seizes this opportunity to commend NAPTIP’s effectiveness in the operation that secured the freedom of 24 victims and the arrest of five suspected traffickers,” the statement partly read.
The NACTAL president, however, called on the agency to expedite prosecution processes to ensure justice for survivors. He cited the case of Bashariya, a victim allegedly trafficked, abused, and exploited in Sokoto State, stressing that swift trials would not only deter offenders but also reassure survivors of justice.
While pledging NACTAL’s continued collaboration with NAPTIP, Abubakar reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to working with government institutions, civil society groups, regional bodies, and international partners to strengthen prevention, protection, and prosecution mechanisms in the anti-trafficking fight.
He further noted that NACTAL serves as Nigeria’s representative within the West African Coalition Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling, emphasising the group’s resolve to sustain cross-border collaboration in tackling the menace.
Nigeria remains a trafficking hotspot in West Africa, with victims often recruited for sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, forced labour, and cross-border smuggling.
According to NAPTIP’s 2023 report, over 2,000 victims of human trafficking were rescued across the country, with many intercepted en route to Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
In June 2024, PUNCH Online reported that NAPTIP rescued 34 victims, mostly young women, from traffickers in Lagos, while in April 2024, the agency secured the conviction of three traffickers in Abuja. The agency has consistently highlighted trafficking routes through Edo, Delta, Kano, Sokoto, and Ogun States, describing them as high-risk corridors.
