The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has received 12 victims of human trafficking repatriated from Ghana as part of ongoing efforts to combat cross-border trafficking.
The agency’s Lagos Command disclosed this in a statement, noting that the victims were rescued through coordinated operations involving the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana and other law enforcement agencies.
According to the agency, the victims include nine females aged between 17 and 19, two males aged 22, and a baby.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the victims were allegedly recruited and trafficked to Ghana with promises of lucrative jobs but were later forced into prostitution and cybercrime activities.
“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 victims, the Zonal Commander of NAPTIP Lagos, Mrs Agboko Comfort, represented by the Head of the International and Intelligence Cooperation Unit, Omolara Ibrahim, encouraged the returnees to see their rescue as an opportunity to rebuild their lives.
She also commended partner agencies for ensuring the successful rescue and proper transfer of the victims back to the agency.
According to her, NAPTIP would intensify efforts to identify, track, and prosecute those behind the trafficking network.
In a related development, troops of the Nigerian Army disrupted another suspected trafficking operation in Ibereko, Badagry area of Lagos.
The Army disclosed that soldiers on patrol along the Seme border corridor intercepted suspects transporting two female victims believed to be on their way to Ghana through the border route.
“Details revealed that the troops were on patrol and intercepted the suspects while heading to the Seme border with two female victims,” the Army stated.
According to preliminary findings, the suspects were allegedly transporting the victims to another member of the trafficking network at the Seme border before moving them onward to Ghana.
The Army added that while several suspects were arrested during the operation, one suspect escaped and remains at large.
“The fourth suspect was sadly not apprehended as he is presently at large,” the statement added.
