Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has revealed alarming data, declaring Lagos State as the primary transit and destination for both internal and external human trafficking.
Epe, Ikorodu, Agege, Apapa, and Iganmu were identified as hotspots for trafficking within Lagos.
Director General of NAPTIP, Fatima Waziri-Azi, disclosed this unsettling information during the handover of a state-of-the-art counter-trafficking office funded by the United States government and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Waziri-Azi stressed the urgency of addressing the issue and strengthening the collaboration between NAPTIP and Lagos to combat the pervasive problem.
Despite securing 68 convictions for human trafficking in 2023, Waziri-Azi highlighted that the highest number of victims was received and rescued in Lagos.
She emphasized the need for collective efforts to raise awareness and prevent trafficking, considering it a national crisis.
“We secured the conviction of 68 persons for human trafficking in 2023. But our shelter in Lagos received and rescued the highest number of victims for 2023.
“There is also an increasing number of Lagos indigenes being trafficked, which shows that there is a problem that should be tackled,” Premium Times quoted the NAPTIP DG to have said.
Lagos State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Femi Pedro, expressed the state’s commitment to combating human trafficking vigorously.
He urged residents to report any signs of trafficking, emphasizing that government alone cannot tackle the issue.
Neighbourhood Safety Agency (LNSA) encouraged residents to support anti-trafficking efforts, and the UNODC Deputy Country Representative outlined the initiatives underpinning the newly handed-over counter-trafficking office.
The project aims to enhance coordination and response in identifying, preventing, and reporting human trafficking cases in Lagos State.
