The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has received 12 victims of human trafficking repatriated from Ghana as part of its ongoing trans-border collaboration with state and non-state actors in the fight against human trafficking.
The Lagos Command disclosed this in a statement shared on Tuesday via the agency’s social media page, saying the victims were rescued through coordinated efforts involving the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana and other sister law enforcement agencies.
The victims include nine females aged between 17 and 19, two males aged 22, and a baby.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that they were recruited, deceived, and trafficked to Ghana with a fake promise of a lucrative job by yet to be identified traffickers, but were forced into prostitution and cybercrime in Ghana,” the statement said.
Receiving the returnees, the Zonal Commander of NAPTIP Lagos, Mrs Agboko Comfort, represented by the Head, International and Intelligence Cooperation Unit, Omolara Ibrahim, urged them to see their return as an opportunity to rebuild their lives.
She also appreciated partner agencies for their role in the operation, saying they ensured “the proper referral/handover of the returnees to the Agency.”
She added that the agency would intensify efforts to track and prosecute those behind the trafficking network.
“She also assured that the Agency would go after their trafficker and prosecute them.”
In a related development, troops of the Nigerian Army have disrupted trafficking activities in Ibereko, Badagry, Lagos State, arresting suspects and rescuing two female victims during a patrol along the Seme border axis.
“Details revealed that the troops were on patrol. Intercepted the suspects… while heading to the Seme border with two female victims,” the Army stated.
The Army further explained that the suspects were intercepted while conveying the victims to the Seme border, where they were to be handed over to another contact within a trafficking chain, with plans to move them to Ghana.
“The Nigerian Army reports that preliminary investigations reveal that the trio was intercepted while conveying the two victims to the Seme Border, where they were to be handed over to another contact in their chain of operation, with plans to move the girls to Ghana.”
One suspect remains at large, according to the Army, which said the fourth suspect was “sadly not apprehended as he is presently at large.”
