Agents from the State Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) raided a famous Zamaru hotel near the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, resulting in the rescue of seven people who were trafficked and trafficked to Iraq for exploitation.
During the operation, the hotel manager was also arrested after obtaining reliable intelligence from the concerned stakeholders who observed suspicious activities involving young girls and strange men.
NAPTIP’s press officer in a press release issued Sunday Vincent Adabley, Noting this operation is part of a broader move to remove humanity Trafficking Use Abuja Airport as a network of transport centers.
He noted that in recent months, NAPTIP has intercepted at least 60 suspected trafficking victims at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on their way to unstable and conflicting areas in the Middle East.
A thorough assessment of the rescued people showed that six were recruited from Lagos, and one was from the Delta State. The victims were tempted to find employment in Baghdad, but found that they were trafficked to Iraq.
“This hotel was identified as a gathering point for victims of trafficking before moving to its final destination. We will not tolerate such activities and ensure that all those involved face the full anger of the law, Adecoye Noto.
Vanguard tearfully recounted her experience, citing one of the victims as saying: “They told me that I would work in Baghdad and earn a good monthly salary. I believe them because I think Baghdad is in another country. They never told me I was going to Iraq.”
In discussing this issue, NAPTIP Director-General Binta Adamu Bello expressed concerns about the involvement of certain service providers in promoting trafficking in persons. She warned that the agency would take legal action against criminals under applicable law.
Speaking on her behalf, Director of Research and Program Development, Josiah Emerole, It is stressed that NAPTIP will no longer accept actions by individuals and businesses that promote trafficking. He stressed that under Nigeria’s anti-trafficking legislation, providing shelter to victims of human trafficking constitutes a crime.
Bello further revealed that victims were often placed in hotels and then illegally transported out of the country, where they received instructions on how to avoid discovery by concealing their identity and providing false information to law enforcement officers at the airport.
She said “It is frustrating that some service providers in the country promote trafficking by providing facilities for recruitment, transportation and victims.
“This hotel is believed to be a convening point for victims of human trafficking to some notorious destination countries. The hotel’s manager is being questioned and we have stepped up the searches for other members of the trafficking gang that works with Iraqi criminals.
“Due to the unpatriotic role of some of these service providers, the agency should invoke appropriate parts of its law for prosecution.
NAPTIP said efforts are being made to track and arrest other members of the trafficking network, including its collaborators in Iraq.
