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Victims, aged 17–43, intercepted in Wuse II ahead of forced labour abroad
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Traffickers linked to a “popular travel agency,” manhunt launched
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Operation part of intensified surveillance and intelligence monitoring in major cities
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) rescued 25 women in Abuja who were allegedly being prepared for labour exploitation in Saudi Arabia.
The victims, aged between 17 and 43, were intercepted in front of a hotel in Wuse II, where traffickers had gathered them for onward transportation.
According to NAPTIP Press Officer Vincent Adekoye, the women were recruited from Kano, Jigawa, and Katsina states with promises of well-paying domestic work abroad. Many of them had never been to Abuja and were stranded without travel documents when rescued.
One victim told investigators: “Some people came to our village and told my parents they would help me travel abroad to work as a house help in Saudi Arabia. They promised good pay so I could take care of my family. They asked us to wait here for our travel documents and instructions, but none of them showed up.”
READ ALSO: NAPTIP Rescues 25 Women from Suspected Labour Trafficking to Saudi Arabia
NAPTIP Director-General, Binta Adamu Bello, confirmed the rescue and linked a “popular travel agency” to the operation, noting that a manhunt had been launched for the agency and its operators.
Bello warned the Association of Recruiters and Licensed Placement Agency of Nigeria to regulate its members, highlighting that trafficking victims often face extreme exploitation abroad.
She added that the operation was part of intensified surveillance and intelligence monitoring in major cities, following reports of rising recruitment from rural communities for human trafficking.
