NAPTIP Warns Against Traffickers Using NGOs as Fronts

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has expressed alarm over the exploitation of civil society organizations (CSOs) by human traffickers to access vulnerable communities. Vincent Adekoye, Head of Press and Public Relations at NAPTIP, disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja.

Traffickers are reportedly masquerading as representatives of NGOs, offering assistance to families in distressed areas affected by insecurity, such as farmer-herder conflicts. Adekoye noted that traffickers promise parents educational opportunities for their children under fake projects, subsequently abducting them.

Recently, NAPTIP rescued four children in Onitsha, Anambra State, who were allegedly trafficked from Kajuru, Kaduna State, in 2023. The agency has recovered a total of 118 trafficked children from various states in the North-Central region.

NAPTIP plans to profile CSOs operating in vulnerable areas to prevent exploitation by criminal elements and has urged Nigerians to report any suspicious activities involving organizations seeking to take children from their families.