The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has announced the rescue of 19 young girls who were all allegedly impregnated by a single man in an estate in Abuja.
Binta Bello, Director-General of NAPTIP, revealed this during a courtesy visit to Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday.
“This is just one of several disturbing cases,” Bello said. “Last week, we rescued 19 girls, all pregnant for one man in an estate in Abuja. We also received nine girls from Côte d’Ivoire, and other cases too grim to list here.”
She praised NiDCOM’s support, particularly in the recent successful rescue of 231 Nigerian youths trafficked to Ghana, and emphasized that combating human trafficking requires coordinated efforts from all sectors of government and civil society.
Bello reaffirmed NAPTIP’s commitment to safeguarding vulnerable Nigerians and called for wider public awareness campaigns, stronger inter-agency cooperation, and proactive enforcement against traffickers.
In response, Dabiri-Erewa called for a whole-of-government and society approach to ending human trafficking in Nigeria. She stressed the importance of naming and shaming traffickers to deter others, and reiterated the need for close collaboration between NiDCOM, NAPTIP, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), and other partners.
“We must continue to rescue these young victims, rehabilitate them, and create safe and regular migration pathways,” Dabiri-Erewa stated.
The development comes amid a broader national conversation around youth vulnerability and exploitation, following a recent case in Anambra State where an 18-year-old apprentice was reported to have impregnated at least 10 girls within five months.
