Operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have smashed an inter-state human trafficking syndicate operating in Katsina State.
Naijaonpoint understands that three young women who were allegedly forced into prostitution were rescued during the operation.
The operation, carried out by the Katsina State Command, also led to the arrest of three suspected traffickers, including the manager of a popular hotel in Katsina township (name withheld), where the victims were found and rescued.
The agency disclosed that the victims, aged between 21 and 26 years, hailed from Benue and Rivers States, and were lured to the northern state with promises of well-paying jobs, only to be forced into prostitution upon arrival.
“I was brought here by a woman who promised me a job. She didn’t tell me what kind, just that I’d be paid well.
“When we arrived, we were introduced to prostitution. We sleep with at least 20 men every day, and all the money goes to a woman they call ‘Amarachi’,” one of the rescued victims told NAPTIP officials tearfully.
The victims recounted harrowing tales of being monitored by paid guards, forced to work even while ill or menstruating, and being given Fearless energy drinks to endure the daily ordeal.
Confirming the operation in a statement dated July 9, 2025, NAPTIP’s Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, said the raid followed a recent directive from the agency’s Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, OON, urging intensified surveillance around hotels, motor parks, and entertainment joints.
“The victims were discovered in a cramped, poorly furnished room, while the traffickers were relaxing in a separate, well-equipped suite within the same hotel, allegedly enjoying the proceeds of their exploitation,” Adekoye stated.
DG Binta Bello, reacting to the success of the raid, expressed outrage at the complicity of hotel operators who enable trafficking rings.
“These young women were deceived, recruited, and trafficked under false pretences, and were forced into prostitution while their exploiters fed fat nearby,” she said.
“We have commenced legal processes to sanction the hotel and prosecute all those involved.”
Hotel Faces Sanctions as Legal Action Begins
The agency reiterated its warning to hospitality businesses and transport operators against aiding trafficking networks, stating that such establishments would be held accountable under Nigerian law.
“The law will take its full course. We will not hesitate to seal off establishments found to be complicit in the abuse and trafficking of Nigerian citizens,” Bello warned.
NAPTIP also assured that the victims are receiving psychosocial support and rehabilitation, while legal proceedings against the arrested suspects are underway.