Metro

NAPTIP Rescues Seven Girls From Iraq-bound Trafficking Ring In Abuja Hotel

Published

9 months ago

March 23, 2025

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons said it rescued seven young women believed to be victims of human trafficking after it raided a popular hotel in Zamaru, a few kilometres from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The girls “were being prepared to be trafficked to Baghdad, Iraq, for exploitation,” NAPTIP’s Chief Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, revealed in a statement Sunday evening.

The statement was titled ‘NAPTIP raids popular hotel near Abuja Airport harbouring Iraq–bound suspected human trafficking victims, rescues 7 victims.’

Adekoye said the operation, which followed a tip-off, also led to the arrest of the hotel manager, who is currently being interrogated for allegedly harbouring the victims.

The hotel had been under surveillance after concerned persons raised alarm over the unusual movement of young girls and strange-looking men within the premises—signs, NAPTIP says, pointed to the presence of a trafficking ring.

A preliminary profiling of the rescued victims revealed that six of them were recruited from Lagos, while one hails from Delta State.

They were allegedly lured with promises of “well-paying caregiving jobs in Iraq but later discovered they were being trafficked,” the statement read.

“They told me that I will do a househelp job in Baghdad and I will receive good salary every month.

“I believed them because I think say Baghdad is in another country. Them no tell me say I dey go work for Iraq,” one of the victims tearfully recounted, Adekoye wrote.

This latest rescue adds to a growing number of interceptions by NAPTIP, which said it has prevented over 60 suspected victims from being trafficked through the Abuja airport in recent months to volatile and war-torn Middle East countries.

Reacting to the development, NAPTIP’s Director-General, Binta Bello, expressed deep concern over the involvement of service providers in human trafficking, noting that the hotel served as a “muster point” for traffickers operating between Nigeria and the Middle East.

Represented by the Director of Research and Programme Development, Mr. Josiah Emerole, the DG stated, “It is sad the way some service providers aid and abet the recruitment, transportation, transfer, and harbouring of Nigerians who are victims of human trafficking.

“The suspected victims are trafficked from different parts of the country and harboured in the hotel.

“The victims were being briefed on how to evade arrest and respond to questioning at the airport,” she added, noting that harbouring victims of trafficking is itself a punishable offence under the law.”

Bello warned that the agency would now invoke the full weight of the law to prosecute individuals or entities found complicit in trafficking activities.

NAPTIP said it has intensified its manhunt for other members of the trafficking network believed to be operating in collaboration with criminal syndicates in Iraq.

“The Manager of the hotel is being quizzed and we have also intensified the manhunt for other members of the trafficking gang working in collaboration with other criminal elements in Iraq,” the DG stated.

Metro

Why I Charged My Husband Money For Sex —Woman

Published

23 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Editor

Matero Local Court, Zambia, has heard how a woman from Chisamba, sexually starved her husband for four years, after he failed to pay her K3,000 she charged him for having a child out of wedlock.

According to Zambia Observer, Sophia Kwale, 32, a teacher by profession, said in line with her tradition, as admission of guilt for having a child, her husband, Samuel Chongo, 38, was supposed to pay her the money commonly known as ‘ndapusa’ (admission of guilt).

“In my tradition, when a man has a child outside wedlock, he is supposed to apologise by paying ndapusa.

“This can be in money or material form.

“I asked him to pay me K3,000 only or he wasn’t going to have sex with me,” she said.

Sophia said her husband later refused to pay ndapusa but wanted to have sex with her, so she charged him K500 which he paid instantly before she allowed him to engage in the act.

“I charged him K500 to make love with me and he paid it instantly.

“This was only last month. Before that, we last had sex in 2021.

“I didn’t even enjoy the sex because it was forced,” she said.

Metro

Organ Harvesting: Ekiti Sacks Surgeon After Panel’s Findings, Suspends Support Staff

Published

24 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Editor

Ekiti State government has dismissed the Surgeon who had primary responsibility for the surgery of a patient whose kidneys were removed from the service of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) with immediate effect.

This followed the submission of the report of the 7-man investigation panel chaired by Professor Francis Faduyile to the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Oyebanji Filani.

Recall the panel was constituted 11 days ago to investigate the claim made by a patient, Mr. Joshua Afolayan regarding a surgical procedure he underwent at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH).

According to a statement by Filani, “Upon careful review of the report and its recommendations, the Ekiti State government has approved the following actions:

“That the surgeon who had primary responsibility for the surgery is to be dismissed from the service of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) with immediate effect.

“All members of the surgical team present in the theatre on the day of the operation are to be suspended from duty for a period of one month, pending further administrative review.

“The Ekiti State government will bear the full cost of a new kidney transplant for Afolayan, will take responsibility for his post-transplant care as well as transplant related medical maintenance for a period of two years.

“In line with the recommendations of the panel, a comprehensive reorganisation of relevant departments within EKSUTH will be undertaken to strengthen clinical governance, accountability, and patient safety.”

Filani said that while the Ekiti State government continues to stand firmly behind the many dedicated and hardworking health professionals at EKSUTH and acknowledges their sacrifices and commitment to service, it would not hesitate to take decisive action where professional standards are breached.

“The government remains resolute in its commitment to protecting patients, upholding ethical and professional standards in healthcare delivery, and restoring and sustaining public confidence in the Ekiti State health system.

“Necessary reforms will be pursued to ensure that incidents of this nature do not re-occur and that EKSUTH continues to serve as a centre of excellence in patient care.

“We thank the people of Ekiti State for their patience, and trust, and we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to continued improvement in quality health care, compassion, and responsible governance.”

Metro

My Ex-husband Has Refused To Give Me, Our Unborn Child, Money For Upkeep, Woman Tells Court

Published

24 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Editor

Please, grant me time to settle the issue —Husband

A pregnant woman, Harira Aliyu, has asked a Shari’a court sitting in Rigasa, Kaduna State, to compel her former husband, Nasiru Al-Hassan to provide financial support for her upkeep.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the complainant also prayed the court to confirm one pronouncement of divorce made by Nasiru in March.

“I am eight months pregnant. Since our divorce in March, he has only been able to send me money for two months for my upkeep and our unborn child.

“It is important that he continues to provide for me as I await delivery in a month’s time,” she told the court.

In his defense, the defendant who spoke through his counsel, Abubakar Sani, said he was just briefed recently.

He asked the court to give him more time to respond to the petition.

The judge, Malam Mukhtar Aliyu adjourned the case.