NAPTIP (National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons) has rescued 13 girls, aged 19 to 39, from suspected human trafficking.
The girls were intercepted at Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja, just before they were to board a flight to Baghdad, Iraq.
They are believed to be victims of sexual and labor exploitation.
NAPTIP’s press officer, Vincent Adekoye, stated that the operation was carried out with the help of partners.
The girls were allegedly recruited by unregistered agents, suspected to be part of a larger trafficking network operating between Nigeria and the Middle East. These recruiters reportedly deceived the girls with false promises.
The interception occurred after concerned partners at the airport noticed the suspicious group.
The girls, accompanied by some timid-looking individuals, gave identical, rehearsed answers about their destination, raising suspicion and prompting the alert to NAPTIP.
NAPTIP’s Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, expressed her concern about the traffickers’ deceptive tactics.
She urged parents and guardians to be wary of false promises made to their children and wards.
She was present at the airport during the initial interception of five of the girls, as she was departing for an official trip to Adamawa.