Agents from the State Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) attacked a popular hotel in Zamaru, a few kilometers from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja and rescued seven young women, believed to be victims of human trafficking.
Vincent Adekoye, chief press officer of NAPTIP, revealed this in a statement on Sunday, March 23, 2025, saying the girls were “prepared to be trafficked to Baghdad, Iraq for exploitation,” he said.
The statement is titled “Naptip Raids’ popular hotel near Abuja Airport, which houses alleged trafficking victims of Iraqi businesses, rescued seven victims.”
Adekoye said the action came after a prompt, which also led to the arrest of the hotel manager, who is currently being questioned for suspected possession of the victim.
Naptip said the hotel has been under surveillance because people have alerted the unusual movement of young girls and strange-looking men, who Naptip said was the existence of trafficking rings.
Preliminary analysis of the rescued victims showed that six of them were recruited from Lagos, while one was from the Delta State.
“Their commitment was reportedly “with good care in Iraq but later found out they were trafficked,” the statement said.
“They told me that I would be doing a family tracking job in Baghdad and I would be getting a good salary every month.
“I think they are because I think Baghdad is in another country. They don’t tell me I’m going to work for Iraq,” Adkoye wrote.
The latest rescue adds to the growing number of NAPTIP interceptions, which cutoff has prevented trafficking of more than 60 alleged victims from being trafficked to Abuja airports in recent months.
NAPTIP Director General Binta Bello responded to the development, expressing deep concern about the involvement of service providers in human trafficking, noting that the hotel is a “convening point” for traffickers operating between Nigeria and the Middle East.
DG was represented by Mr. Josiah Emerole, Director of Research and Program Development, said: “It is sad for certain service providers to help and teach to recruit, transport, transfer and hide Nigerians, transport, transfer and hide Nigerians.
“The alleged victims were trafficked from different parts of the country and were hidden in hotels,” DG said.
“Victims are reviewing and responding to inquiries at the airport,” she added, noting that possession of trafficking victims is itself a crime of legal punishment. ”
Bello warned that the agency would now invoke the full weight of the law to prosecute an individual or entity to find accomplice trafficking.
NAPTIP said it has stepped up its pursuit of other members of the trafficking network, which is believed to operate in partnership with Iraqi criminal groups.
“The hotel manager is asking, and we have also strengthened the pursuit for other members of the trafficking gang that has worked with other Iraqi criminals,” DG added.
