Operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have raided a popular hotel in Zamaru, near the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and rescued seven suspected victims of human trafficking.
The victims were allegedly being prepared for illegal transportation to Baghdad, Iraq, for exploitation.
Vincent Adekoye, NAPTIP Press Officer in a statement on Sunday, said the operation, based on credible intelligence from concerned stakeholders, also led to the arrest of the hotel’s manager.
According to sources, unusual movements of young girls, and unidentified men within the hotel raised suspicion, prompting NAPTIP to take action.
“Investigations revealed that six of the victims were recruited from Lagos, while one was from Delta State.
“They were allegedly deceived with false promises of well-paying caregiving jobs in Iraq, but were unknowingly being trafficked into exploitative conditions, he said.
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One of the victims, narrating her ordeal, said: “They told me I would work as a househelp in Baghdad and receive a good salary. I believed them because I thought Baghdad was in another country. They never told me I was going to Iraq.”
Speaking on the development, NAPTIP Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, represented by the Director of Research and Programme Development, Mr. Josiah Emerole, condemned the role of some unscrupulous service providers in facilitating human trafficking.
“It is sad how some service providers in the country aid, and abet the recruitment, transportation, transfer, and harbouring of trafficking victims.
“The hotel is believed to be a muster point for trafficked persons heading to notorious destinations. The manager is in custody, and we have intensified efforts to track down other members of the trafficking network, including collaborators in Iraq,” she said.
The agency further disclosed that the victims were trained on how to evade arrest, and deceive law- enforcement officers at the airport.
In light of this, NAPTIP has vowed to prosecute any establishment involved in human trafficking under the provisions of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law.
The raid follows recent interceptions of over 60 suspected human trafficking victims at Abuja’s international airport, highlighting an ongoing trend of Nigerians being trafficked to volatile regions in the Middle East.
