The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Jigawa State Command, rescued 147 victims of human trafficking across the state in 2025, the agency has disclosed.
The Jigawa State Commander of NAPTIP, Mr Abdulkadir Turajo, made this known on Tuesday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse.
Turajo said the rescued victims were successfully reunited with their families after undergoing comprehensive counselling and rehabilitation.
He also revealed that the command secured the conviction of a 30-year-old Nigerien, Hassan Alhassan, of Garin Idi Village, Niger Republic, for trafficking-related offences.
According to the commander, Alhassan was convicted for attempting to smuggle a male victim from Kano State through the Maigatari border in Jigawa to Libya, via Magarya in Zinder State, Niger Republic.
“We recorded 37 trafficking cases and 11 border-area interceptions and referrals by the Nigeria Immigration Service, involving a total of 97 persons,” Turajo said.
He added that the command carried out 49 sensitisation and awareness campaigns in trafficking-endemic communities across the state, targeting schools, markets, mosques, churches, and motor parks.
Turajo described human trafficking as a modern form of slavery, involving the recruitment, transportation, transfer, or harbouring of persons through deception, coercion, or debt bondage for the purpose of exploitation.
He noted that Jigawa State remains a major source and transit route for international human trafficking, particularly to Europe and the Middle East, through Niger and the Chad–Sudan–Saudi Arabia axis.
The commander also highlighted the state’s high incidence of sexual abuse cases and its role as a major source of internal trafficking for labour, stressing the need for collective action to curb the menace.
“The consequences of human trafficking are enormous. It is one of the world’s most dangerous crimes and poses a serious threat to national security and public safety,” he said.
According to him, the crime fuels corruption, irregular migration, human rights abuses, social disintegration, spread of diseases, and often escalates into organised crimes such as drug trafficking, terrorism, kidnapping, arms proliferation, and money laundering.
Turajo further explained that NAPTIP serves as the Federal Government’s lead agency in combating human trafficking, with core mandates including law enforcement, investigation, victim protection, awareness creation, international cooperation, and regulation of trans-border activities.
He expressed appreciation to the Jigawa State Government, particularly Governor Umar Namadi, for his commitment and support in the fight against human trafficking.
The commander also commended security and law enforcement agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, the media, civil society organisations, and members of the Jigawa Anti-Human Trafficking Taskforce, especially those under NACTAL, for their continued collaboration.
According to him, the strong working relationship among stakeholders has made the fight against human trafficking and related crimes in the state more effective.