By ADEROGBA GEORGE

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) intercepted 13 girls suspected to be victims of human trafficking en route to Baghdad, Iraq for sexual and labour exploitation.

This is contained in a statement by the spokesman of the agency, Vincent Adekoye in Abuja.

The agency said that the girls whose ages ranged between 19 and 39 years, were intercepted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja.

NAPTIP said that the girls were allegedly deceived and recruited by some faceless unregistered labour recruiters who are suspected to be agents of a larger criminal labour recruiting gang operating between Nigeria and some Middle East countries.

”The interception of the Iraq-bound girls followed a tip-off by some concerned partners who noticed the unusual movement of some unknown faces at the departure lounge of the NAIA,” he said.

He said the Director-General of NAPTIP, Hajia Binta Adamu-Bello, who witnessed the interception, expressed displeasure over the incident.

She said the level of deceit by traffickers was becoming worrisome, while calling parents and guardian to always be careful of fake promises for their children and wards.

“I wish to point out that our action is in line with the provision of the Trafficking in Persons (Control of Activities of Organisations and Centres) Regulations 2019, which empowers NAPTIP to issue clearance certificates to all travel agents or tour operators.

“NAPTIP regulation 2019 empowers the agency to issue clearance certificate to tour operator traveling for the purpose of educational excursions, recruitment for Labour, sporting activities, cultural, music excursions or competitions.

“It empowers us to issue clearance certificate to all organisations, shelters, and homes offering services for the purpose of rehabilitation of trafficked persons,” she said.

According to her, the case at hand is pathetic because these girls are deceived and recruited for a supposed job in Baghdad by unlicensed labour recruiters who are not known to any constituted authority in Nigeria.

“This implies that should anything happen to these girls; we will not be able to hold anyone responsible because they are undocumented labourers. They were issued 60 days visa and yet signed a labour agreement of 2 years.

“The implication of this is that as soon as the visa expires, they are at the mercy of the master and lose all legal rights to demand anything including their legitimate salary, ” she said.

”Investigation revealed that they will be paid 250 dollars as monthly salary by their tax master out of which they will remit four months’ salary to the agent here in Nigeria and another huge sum to the agent in Iraq,” she said .

She said that from the testimonies of scores of victims who passed through the same condition, they were never paid regularly as expected, maybe four or five months only for the agreed contract period of 2 years.

Adamu-Bello said the major issue was with their master when they asked for their salary to be paid.

She added that it was painful that many were in those volatile and war-torn destination countries.

Adamu-Bello said those who were there already, were seeking help to be rescued, saying that they were happily embarking on a journey to the unknown.

She said that some of the victims who had been rescued in the past came home with life-threatening medical conditions while others escaped with a life-threatening wound with scars.

She said the agency could not close its eyes and allow these ones to join the statistics of stranded victims who were now calling social media for help.

Adamu-Bello said that NAPTIP was on the lookout for the unscrupulous unregistered recruiters who were behind all these scenarios.

She appreciated the management of Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport with particular reference to the airport management and his Security personnel, Officials of the various Airlines and sister law enforcement agencies.

Adamu-Bello also sue for more cooperation to rescue these girls from the deceit of the mindless traffickers.

In another development, the agency said, its operatives also sealed-up a popular three-star Hotel located at the ever-busy Community of Kwali, Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The agency said that 11 underaged girls were suspected of being used for sexual expedition in the hotel.

The owner of the hotel, the agency said, has been arrested, while other supporting staff escaped. (NAN)