Fagbemi Tasks States on Anti-Trafficking Funding as NAPTIP Rescues 28,762 Victims, Secures 857 Convictions
…Agency records 1,434 arrests, rehabilitates 2,700 victims in 15 months; Delta only state without NAPTIP command
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has challenged state governments to take greater financial and operational responsibility for combating human trafficking, warning that the fight cannot be left to the Federal Government alone.
Fagbemi, who was represented by the Acting Director, Citizens Rights Department, Mr Haliru Kabiru, at the opening of the 29th National Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum (NSCF) on Human Trafficking in Nigeria in Abuja on Tuesday, said every state had a responsibility to protect its young population from trafficking networks and the exploitation of vulnerable citizens.
His warning came as the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Lami Adamu Bello, disclosed that the agency had rescued and supported 28,762 victims of human trafficking since its establishment and secured 857 convictions against traffickers.
Fagbemi said state governments must strengthen their anti-trafficking task forces, improve coordination among relevant institutions and incorporate anti-trafficking programmes into their budgets.
“Going by the data from NAPTIP and the development partners, no state is immune to trafficking in persons; young and innocent young people from the States are being cut down in their prime by the trafficking networks on daily basis and this calls for greater concerns from States governments,” he said.
He added: “Remember that every victim and every trafficker comes from a state, and we must join hands to stop the traffickers before they succeed in wiping away our young population due to their selfish desires.”
The Attorney-General said the Federal Government’s commitment to tackling trafficking was reflected in reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly interventions aimed at reducing poverty, expanding economic opportunities, promoting digital literacy, strengthening social protection and improving access to justice.
He noted that trafficking thrived on socio-economic vulnerabilities, making youth empowerment, skills acquisition, entrepreneurship development, financial inclusion and social investment essential components of the national response.
He also called for stronger prosecutorial capacity, intelligence sharing, mutual legal assistance and extradition arrangements to dismantle transnational trafficking networks and ensure that perpetrators were brought to justice regardless of where they operated.
Fagbemi commended NAPTIP and its development partners for strengthening intelligence-led investigations, expanding victim protection and rehabilitation services, improving cross-border cooperation and adopting technology-driven approaches, particularly the National Human Trafficking Dashboard, to enhance coordination and accountability.
He said the National Action Plan on Human Trafficking in Nigeria (2022–2026), due to expire in December, required a comprehensive and evidence-based review to determine achievements, implementation gaps and lessons for the next five-year framework covering 2027–2031.
The minister urged ministries, departments and agencies, state task forces and other implementing partners to provide accurate reports, performance data and candid feedback to guide the review.
He said the successor plan must contain clearly defined objectives, measurable indicators, realistic targets, designated institutional responsibilities and effective monitoring and evaluation arrangements, supported by adequate funding and resource mobilisation strategies.
Fagbemi also warned that the increasing use of digital platforms for deceptive recruitment, fraudulent employment offers and online exploitation required stronger collaboration among law enforcement agencies, technology companies, telecommunications operators, financial institutions and digital service providers.
He called for improved public enlightenment and community engagement, stressing the importance of parents, teachers, traditional and religious institutions, youth groups and community leaders in identifying and preventing trafficking schemes.
The Attorney-General acknowledged the technical and financial contributions of development partners, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), Expertise France, FIAP, the governments of Switzerland and the Netherlands, and the European Union.
He said the forum should produce four major outcomes: an evidence-based assessment of the outgoing National Action Plan; identification of achievements, gaps and lessons; practical recommendations for improving coordination and accountability; and agreed priorities for the development of the 2027–2031 framework.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to working with state governments, relevant institutions and development partners to prevent and eliminate human trafficking, stressing that the success of the next action plan would depend on sustained political commitment, adequate resources and accountability for results.
Fagbemi urged all stakeholders to remain committed to protecting vulnerable persons, strengthening the administration of justice, supporting victims and ensuring that perpetrators were brought to justice before declaring the 29th National Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on Human Trafficking officially open.
Speaking at the forum, NAPTIP Director-General, Binta Bello, disclosed that the agency received 1,508 cases of human trafficking and related offences between August 2025 and November 2026, leading to 1,434 arrests, comprising 52 per cent males and 48 per cent females.
She said NAPTIP also received and rehabilitated 2,700 victims during the period, with females accounting for 72 per cent and males 28 per cent. Children constituted 48 per cent of the victims, while adults made up 52 per cent.
According to her, the agency initiated 65 cases involving 85 accused persons in court and secured 74 convictions involving 97 offenders. She clarified that the convictions included some cases instituted before the 2025 stakeholders’ forum but concluded afterwards.
Bello described the agency’s cumulative record of rescuing and supporting 28,762 victims and securing 857 convictions as one of the strongest globally, noting that prosecuting human trafficking offences remained particularly difficult because of the clandestine nature of the crime.
She said NAPTIP had intensified intelligence gathering and surveillance to identify and dismantle trafficking networks operating both physically and online, particularly those involved in cyber-enabled trafficking, deceptive online recruitment and exploitation facilitated through digital platforms.
The agency, she added, had strengthened its victim-centred interventions through rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration and protection, including psychosocial counselling, vocational training, family tracing and reunification, legal assistance and economic empowerment.
On the agency’s nationwide presence, Bello disclosed that NAPTIP had established a new state command in Kogi, leaving Delta as the only state without a command.
She appealed to the Delta State Government to facilitate the establishment of a command in Asaba within the next few months, explaining that the absence of a command had increased operational costs for the Benin Zonal Command, which oversees the state, and delayed emergency responses.
She also announced the establishment of a State Task Force on Human Trafficking in Abia, bringing the number of states with such structures to 25.
Bello said the National Human Trafficking Dashboard remained an important instrument for monitoring implementation of the outgoing action plan, improving reporting and coordination, and strengthening accountability among implementing institutions.
She further disclosed that Nigeria’s TIPVAP Strategy document, developed under the ECOWAS TIP+ framework, had recently been validated in Lagos by stakeholders, including representatives of state governments.
The NAPTIP boss, who commended the European Union, UNODC and IOM for their financial and technical support, urged state governments to demonstrate greater commitment by adequately supporting NAPTIP commands and state task forces and creating conditions that would reduce the vulnerability of their citizens to trafficking.
She stressed that the fight against human trafficking was far from over, adding that every victim protected, trafficking network dismantled and offender brought to justice represented meaningful progress towards building a Nigeria free from human trafficking.
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