Nigeria human trafficking rescue operations

In July 2026 Nigeria’s anti‑trafficking agency NAPTIP reported a surge in online‑enabled “fraud factories” that have ensnared hundreds of thousands worldwide. After rescuing more than 300 victims from Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire in 2025 and another 156 between January and July 2026, NAPTIP coordinated with the Nigerian Navy and customs officials to intercept suspected victims in Badagry and dismantle fake recruitment adverts. Joint operations with regional partners also freed Nigerians lured into forced labour and sexual exploitation abroad.

Later in the month, NAPTIP disclosed a separate operation in Katsina State that liberated 202 victims—147 women and 55 men—between January and July 2026. Officials highlighted a growing shift toward domestic trafficking and complemented the rescues with public‑awareness campaigns, radio programmes, a televised interview and a road walk, urging transport unions and community members to report suspicious activity. The two snapshots together show NAPTIP’s continued large‑scale rescue effort, expanding from cross‑border interventions to intensified focus on domestic trafficking and community outreach.