…Jails 93 Trafickers, rescues 120 Children in 2025
By Hillary Asemota
In what is obviously a strategic curve, the Director General/CEO, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Adamu Bello, has pledged that the agency is reviewing its overall counter trafficking roadmap and policies with a view to re-energise all its operations.
This is with the view to enhancing effective operations and tightening the noose on human traffickers across the country in the 2026, the DG, added.
While appreciating the support of stakeholders in 2025, she assured that NAPTIP shall continue to go after the human traffickers and make 2026 unbearable for them to operate.
“This will be carried out through awareness and enlightenment programmes across with special attention on the unreached locations and villages to reduce their vulnerability and build their resistance to the antics of the traffickers and prosecution.” She explained.
The DG made the disclosure at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, while reviewing the agency’s activities in the previous year, with an emphasis on emerging strategic thrust for 2026.
She disclosed that NAPTIP secured the conviction of 93 human traffickers in 2025, intercepted over 2500 potential victims of human trafficking who were deceived, recruited, and are being trafficked for various forms of exploitation both within and outside the country while a good number of the victims were rehabilitated.
The DG stated this at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, while reviewing the Agency’s activities in the previous year, with an emphasis on the strategic thrust for 2026.
It would be recalled that, arising from the directive of the DG to all its Commands for increased monitoring and vigilance, the Agency doubled its activities in 2025, resulting in the increased interception and rescue, partnership, awareness creation, prosecution, and conviction of Offenders.
She said, “The year 2025 was unpleasant for human traffickers in the country.
“We outsmarted the traffickers and their antics, and this resulted in the impressive number of convictions we recorded.
“The Agency recorded 93 convictions. This is remarkable, bearing in mind what it takes to prosecute and convict one trafficker.
“In 2025, NAPTIP went after a number of the so called high profiled trafficker, while scores of them were smoked out of their hiding, arrested, prosecuted, and convicted, others are still under close watch.”
Among the high-profile traffickers, according to the DG, were some popular Operators of orphanages and Care Homes across the country whose alleged nefarious activities were busted, and over 120 suspected trafficked children were rescued.
“In the same vein, NAPTIP, in collaboration with International Partners and Stakeholders, rescued over 370 Nigerian victims of human trafficking from Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and others.
“As unpleasant as the year 2025 was for the traffickers, I wish to point out that a real hard time awaits them in the year 2026. We have deliberately scaled up our operations to address the evolving challenges and trends.
“Specifically, we shall increase our collaboration and cooperation with other sister Law Enforcement Agencies, Development Partners, Civil Society Organizations, and other categories of Stakeholders.
“We shall also increase synergy with actors within the 3 levels of Government, as well as other non- State Actors, including the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), to enhance grassroots surveillance and detection of human trafficking.
“We shall also seek improved relationships and support from the Legislative arm through the National and State Assemblies, the Executive through the State Governors and their spouses, and the Judiciary.” the DG, said.
She added that just few days into the year, the agency has secured the conviction of 3 human traffickers, and more will end up in jail unless they desist from their unlawful acts and criminality.