The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has rescued seven young women who were about to be trafficked to Iraq.
The agency raided a hotel in Zamaru, near the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after receiving a tip-off.
According to NAPTIP’s Chief Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, the girls were being prepared for exploitation in Baghdad.
The operation also led to the arrest of the hotel manager, who is being questioned for allegedly helping the traffickers. The hotel had been under surveillance after people raised concerns about unusual movements of young women and suspicious-looking men.
Adekoye said six of the victims were recruited from Lagos, while one came from Delta State. The girls were promised high-paying caregiving jobs in Iraq, but later realized they were being trafficked.
One of the victims, speaking in tears, said, “They told me I will work as a house help in Baghdad and get good pay every month. I believed them because I thought Baghdad was in another country. They didn’t tell me I was going to Iraq.”
This rescue is one of many by NAPTIP in recent months. The agency said it has stopped over 60 suspected trafficking cases at Abuja airport, preventing victims from being sent to dangerous countries in the Middle East.
NAPTIP’s Director-General, Binta Bello, expressed concern over how some businesses support trafficking. She said, “It is sad that some service providers help traffickers recruit, transport, and harbour victims.”
She added that the hotel was used as a meeting point where victims were trained on how to avoid detection at the airport.
Bello warned that the agency would take legal action against anyone involved in human trafficking.
“The hotel manager is being questioned, and we are searching for other members of the trafficking group, including those in Iraq,” she stated.
