The Nigerian Navy in Badagry, Lagos, has transferred nine suspected victims of human trafficking to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). This was confirmed in a statement by Lt. B.C. Awodeyi, the Base Information Officer, on Wednesday.
According to Awodeyi, the victims were handed over by the Forward Operating Base (FOB) of the Navy, after being intercepted in two separate incidents on October 11 and 13, 2024.
The first interception occurred on October 11 at around 4:21 p.m. The Navy’s Quick Response Team (QRT), stationed at T-Junction in Badagry, stopped a fibre boat traveling from Mile 2, Lagos, to Panshi Jetty. During a routine search, the team discovered five young women, aged 19 to 32, who were suspected to be victims of human trafficking. Upon questioning, the women revealed that they had no knowledge of their destination and were given a contact number to call upon arrival at Panshin, where someone was supposed to take them to the Republic of Benin and Ghana for what they believed would be better opportunities.
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Two days later, on October 13 at 3:15 p.m., another group of four young women, aged 19 to 24, was intercepted by the QRT at Tongeji Island, Badagry. Similar to the previous group, they were unaware of their destination and had been instructed to call a contact number upon arrival for onward movement to Guinea and Togo.
All nine women were rescued and held in the Navy’s custody before being handed over to NAPTIP’s Ikeja Zonal Office on October 15 for further investigation and possible prosecution. This handover aligns with the Harmonised Standard Procedures on Arrest, Detention, and Prosecution, 2016.
Lt. Awodeyi emphasized that these actions reflect the Navy’s ongoing commitment to maritime security within its jurisdiction, in line with the Chief of Naval Staff’s Strategic Directive for 2023-2026. The Navy’s efforts aim to ensure a safe and secure maritime environment in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea.
