The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) said the Agency rescued 68 victims and apprehended 62 suspected human traffickers in Akwa Ibom State in 2025.
The Uyo Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, Mr Ubong Ekwere, who disclosed this yesterday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo, said out of the 68 victims rescued, 51 were females and 17 males.
He said five of the victims were still in their shelter, while the rest had been reunited with their families.
“Five are still there in our shelter, which comprises two male, one female and two babies,” Ekwere said.
Ekwere also disclosed that during the year under review, the command received 58 cases of trafficking.
“Out of the 58 cases, police transferred five cases to us, four from DSS, two from Nigeria Immigration Service and Uyo Command personally handled 47 cases,” he said.
He told NAN that the command secured two convictions, while 22 cases were still pending in court and undergoing prosecution at different stages.
“We expect to secure more convictions this year to serve as a deterrent to human traffickers in the state,” he said.
The zonal commander said the command would continue to embark on aggressive sensitisation to churches, mosques, schools and rural communities to expose the dangers of human trafficking and traffickers’ antics to the people.
He expressed displeasure that Akwa Ibom had been an endemic state for human trafficking.
Ekwere called on State and Local Government authorities to join hands with NAPTIP to ensure the fight against human trafficking is won.
He urged parents and guardians to be vigilant as there was a new trend of human trafficking in the state, which involved the selling of babies.
He stressed that it was a very serious crime against the state, and any one caught would face the full wrath of the law.
He appealed to parents and guardians to be mindful of those coming to take their young girls with the intention for greener pastures, stressing that they might end up in child labour or prostitution.
The zonal commander solicited support from the state government, well-meaning individuals and organisations in the state to support the agency in the fight against human trafficking, as the federal government could not do it alone.
The zonal commander urged traffickers to desist from such acts, as the state and country were no longer safe for such erroneous crime.
He called on stakeholders to collaborate with NAPTIP to ensure human trafficking and, especially child theft, is eradicated from the state.
