Many victims of human trafficking who returned to Nigeria from Libya have had their kidneys or other vital organs harvested in the countries to which they were trafficked without their knowledge, the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has revealed. NAPTIP’S Director General, Professor Fatima Waziri-Azi, said the victims were usually served drinks laced with drugs before organ harvesters take advantage of them, adding that most of the victims only knew when they were assisted back to the country by International Organisation for Migration.

The DG, who was represented by the commander of NAPTIP Benin zonal command, Mr. Nduka Nwanwenne revealed this at a three-day workshop for journalists with the theme: ‘The development of standard reporting template for members of the trafficking in Persons Media Corps,’ Lagos. Nwanwenne who spoke with our correspondent on the sideline of the event said many Nigerians had lost their lives through organ harvesting by the cartels who deals in the clandestine business.

According to him, Nigerians and other nationals in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Libya, Lebanon and Malaysia’s food and drinks are always sedated and their organs such as Kidney, Pancreas are harvested, while corpse of those whose hearts, liver and bile are harvested are thrown into the desert for wild animals to feast on them.

He said: “Majority of the victims whose organs are harvested are irregular migrants and displaced persons. Because of their status they are subjected to all kinds of ill- treatment by the criminals who exploit them. We got to know about their organs being harvested when they are brought back home by the International Organisation for Migration.

“For some of the victims, sometimes it is when they wake up that they discover that their organs had been taken away, while some doesn’t survive the cruel way of removing the organs by the cartels. The organs are sold within 72 hours after harvest,because there is a ready market for it. Organs harvesting is a serious business and it is on the increase now.

“Trafficking is a serious problem that cannot do anybody any good, every stakeholder have to come together to tackle it, from government, religious bodies, communities, farmers, teachers and vigilantes because in one way or the other everybody is affected by the trafficking scourge,” he added.

Traffickers’ tricks

One of the basic tricks used by the traffickers is that they act on the ignorance of the victims; deception is also one of the basic tricks used to deceive their victims. They paint the pictures of paradise on earth for the victims and paint pictures of picking gold in city of Europe. Unfortunately when they get there the story is different.

We’ve had cases of human trafficking victims that die during their sojourn, especially those who pass through the desert. They die when they have no food or water in the Sahara Desert. But when they finally get to Libya, they are exploited. There are alot of cases of organ harvesting in Libya and other Arabian countries because of the vulnerability of the illegal migrants crossing from the Mediterranean Sea which is a risky journey, a lot of people have perished in the sea.

Organ harvesting traffickers

The need of supply for organs is not meeting its demand; that was why the business is thriving in Arab countries; we also gathered that only 10 percent of all harvested organs are not available in those countries that are why the demand is always high. Vital organs like kidney, liver, pancreas and bile are organs taken from human beings alive and there are specialised bowl where they put the organs after harvesting and it must be used within 72 hours.

He said: “Within those 72 hours, the organs had to be transplanted into the body of the end user. Organ Trafficking is on the increase, there is market for it. In Nigeria some killings we call ritual killers remove vital organs from the bodies of the victims and sell it. A lot of missing persons what has happened to them, these are areas we have to direct our minds to.

Anybody can be a victim of organ harvesters even dead or alive. There are people who have disease of such organs and they have to replace it, but they felt the only way they could get it is to harvest another person’s own. “It is a serious business, when you watch a video of where people’s organs are being removed alive, it is pathetic!

I couldn’t watch the video, you will weep and such victims are helpless, if there is no need for it, it won’t have been an issue and people demanding for it and the cartels will not remain in the business of trafficking.

He further said, human organs business is a hidden one, it is not done in the open, it is a business operated by syndicates who are cruel.

NAPTIP’s effort at senitisation and arrest

“As an agency saddled with the responsibility to arrest and create awareness, we have rescued over 20,000 and secured the conviction of 604 suspects in the last 20 years. “Also, in South South region, only this year, 40 Persons have been convicted, while breaking it down, he said as at May 2023, 604 persons have been convicted, 9,102 suspected traffickers have also been arrested, 20, 660 victims rescued and 11,291 cases have been reported.”

The Benin zonal commander said, South South is endemic for human trafficking, saying that, last year alone 80 persons were convicted. “Last time a Belgium detective came to Nigeria to testify against a trafficker in Benin against a woman whose three children have been convicted in Belgium for human trafficking and they are serving jail term, victims were rescued from them and they are now living in Germany as citizens.

“It is the effort of NAPTIP, it is because of the mutual understanding we had with them and they wouldn’t have come,” he said.

Saving the younger ones

Because it is now a common thing and that human trafficking is a serious business in Benin, there is concerted effort to prevent the younger ones from being infected with the virus of human trafficking. “

A lot of awareness is ongoing in Benin, we have rescued victims. The curse the Oba of Benin placed on traffickers is effective on any of them who administers oath of secrecy on the vulnerable, it is effective.

“The curse from the Oba has positive impact beyond the shores of this country. I have visited Italy where victims told me that they have regained freedom. Nobody toys with the curse, because the moment it is pronounced it became effective, to the extent that some of the traffickers had to run out of Benin to neighbouring states to perpetrate their evil, where they believe the Oba’s curse is not effective.

I can tell you that the level of compliance in Lagos is high and they now have freedom.

Challenge

The NAPTIP officer said that there was a time some staff were attacked and called kidnappers, but because of the training, the officers were able to maintain peace and harmony in the state.

“Another aspect is the training we are doing now to educate journalists on the various trend and tricks used by traffickers, we are not going to relent in our efforts.”

However, the foreign partners of NAPTIP, the team lead of International Ibero- America Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP), Mr. Federico Milano said they have a good working relationship with NAPTIP in the fight against trafficking. Milano said they have a good working relationship and collaboration with NAPTIP in the fight against trafficking in persons and other vices in Nigeria, “because as we are planning to tackle the traffickers in Nigeria, it the same in other parts of the world.

“In the past we had three units of agencies fighting against trafficking in persons in Spain, especially those coming from Nigeria through the Sahara Desert into Spain. And other nationality, our national police are doing well to reduce the number of traffickers coming in without proper documentation, but now it has reduced.

“Now, we have one unit of police in Spain dedicated to the fight against trafficking, the police are productive to reduce the numbers of traffickers who are coming from North African countries using Spain as transit,” he added. (New Telegraph)

Update news