A joint operation by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) has led to the rescue of 21 victims from transborder criminal syndicates operating organized trafficking networks within Nigeria and other West African countries.
In a statement released on Saturday, NAPTIP spokesperson Vincent Adekoye disclosed that 20 victims were rescued across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Osun, and Nasarawa states. The operation also resulted in the arrest of three key suspects. One additional victim, a middle-aged Nigerian woman, was rescued from Dakar, Senegal, in collaboration with the Nigerian Embassy.
The agency said the victims, lured with promises of high-paying jobs and travel to Europe, were instead subjected to various forms of labour exploitation upon arrival in Nigeria. Surveillance was intensified around border communities following a directive from the NAPTIP Director-General, Binta Bello.
Adekoye noted that the success of the operation was a result of strategic collaboration among law enforcement and intelligence agencies, supported by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
Speaking further, Bello condemned the increasing infiltration of Nigeria by transnational human trafficking syndicates, calling the recent operation “the beginning of a sustained onslaught” against such groups.
“These unpatriotic individuals deceive victims across borders, seize their identification documents, and exploit them in silence. We’re working to dismantle these networks completely,” she said.
One of the victims, rescued from Senegal, was deceived with a job offer as a hairstylist and makeup artist. Upon arrival, she was forced into prostitution by her trafficker, known as “Madam Rose,” who later confiscated her documents and abandoned her in a remote Senegalese village. According to her relatives, she was mentally and emotionally tormented and feared for her life.
Bello said the woman, a university graduate and mother of one, is now safely in Lagos and undergoing trauma care. She lauded the swift response by the Nigerian Embassy in Dakar, which provided emergency shelter, documentation, and support for her safe return.
NAPTIP confirmed that a manhunt is underway to apprehend “Madam Rose” and other suspected traffickers. The agency emphasized that inter-agency coordination would continue to play a key role in combating trafficking operations across the country and region.
