General Director of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Hajia Binta Bello, on Tuesday he commissioned the Nigerian parents and young people with the need to resist the activities of the promoters of human trafficking and the collection of organs throughout the country.
Hajia Bello took the position in Abuja during the presentation of more than 70 soccer shirts to FC Wuzgak, Masaka, Nasarawa state, in commemoration of Children's Day 2025, organized by the Blue North (BNI) initiative.
The general director of NAPTIP, who was represented by the deputy director of the Department of Advice and Rehabilitation, Mrs. Ogo Adinde, warned them that they did not maintain secrets on any subject that involves a third or strangers, and urged them to trust their teachers, parents and counselors.
She said: “I want to tell him one thing, that this person is listening to sound simple, but it is a very serious problem. Do you understand? It is a crime that strips a person of their dignity. And human trafficking is not just about bringing children abroad. We have what is called internal traffic. Many men and women in Nigeria are involved in this.
“Children from various states and rural communities bring to urban areas. For example, the children of Enugu, Kano or Nasarawa are taken to Abuja under false promises of schooling or employment. They end up in different hotels. And these young children are there, doing what? Doing prostitution.
“Do you know what prostitution is? It's against their will. Each child wants to go to school.
“They will attract and deceive you. Trafficking in many places. In our office, we have seen many cases that involve small hotels here in Abuja. Do you listen to me? They take the boys there. And the girls, what do they happen? They are given a little money and believe they can do more.
“You see our young people involved in prostitution. And now the worst part is organ harvest. The organ harvest is happening.
“They will take you to someone, the 'oga'. He will say that you will not worry, will help you. Then they take you to a hospital. You say you don't feel good, you may have malaria. They give you an injection. You sleep. And they wear your kidney. Do you know how much does a kidney cost?
“So, what I say is that trafficking in people implies a lot of deception. People lies. Therefore, they should not let anyone deceive him. If someone says he will take him abroad and pay him millions or in dollars, ask his parents. Tell their brothers. Do not accompany them blindly.
“In our department, we see many girls and boys cheating. They don't know what to expect when they travel or get to a city. They end up doing things they never agreed.
“And because children are vulnerable, you are not yet strong or rich, you don't know how to resist. Then you follow them. But if someone tells you that they want to take you abroad to work, say no. No one takes you abroad like this.
“They prepare false documents to smuggle it. Many children have been trafficked in Nigeria and abroad. When they return, they share horrible experiences.
“Some even were forced to sleep with dogs. Would you like to sleep with a dog? These are the terrible things they face. A human being should have their dignity.”
In her comments, Blue North Initiative country director, Mrs. Boma West, urged Nigerian children to avoid all social forms and highlighted the devastating consequences of human trafficking.
She said: “We are doing everything possible by going to schools to ensure that no child is trafficked again. That is our own way of stopping trafficking in persons.”
Mrs. West, who expressed her pain for the difficult situation of thousands of Nigerians who have been victims of human trafficking, requested deliberate actions to end the threat in Nigeria.
While reiterating the commitment of Blue North Initiative to associate with NAPTIP and other interested parties, he revealed that he would not be left without moving in the search for the organization to maintain the public awareness in progress and support for victims of trafficking in people in Nigeria, Canada and other countries.
She said: “Blue North settled in November 2022 and the founder is Mr. Kalistus Ekenna. He was previously a member of the Naptip staff. When Naptip left, he saw how deeply the trafficking of people had affected not only Nigeria, but the world in general. He was worried about him and decided that he should be arrested.
“Then, he went ahead and registered the Blue North organization and this particular initiative. One of our main objectives is to raise awareness about human trafficking. We are not only operating in Nigeria, but also in Canada and other parts of the world. We are here to advocate and boost the end of human trafficking because it has devastated the lives of so many.
“Of course, human beings have no price. Can you tell us why we are here today? We are here to celebrate Children's Day. Today, on May 27, it is celebrated as business day in all Nigeria. One of the things that Blue North has been doing is going to schools to create awareness of people traffic.
“This is because, most of the time, we have seen that young soccer players are trafficked and even have their harvested organs. When we visited them, we realized that they did not have football shirts. Therefore, we take care of providing them shirts. That is why we are here today, present them with the jerseys and celebrate them with them.
“We brought them from the state of Nasarawa. We took them to large shopping centers and show them. Now, we have brought them to the beach where they can play football, participate in other games, have fun and enjoy their snacks. Then, we take them back to the state of Nasarawa.
“For now, beyond raising awareness and supporting the survivors of human trafficking, we have no other approach. This is our main objective, our main objective: stop human trafficking,” said Mrs. West.
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