Mrs. Julie Okah-Donli, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP),
has warned perpetrators of human trafficking in the year 2020, saying they should be ready to “smell hell’’.
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She gave the warning in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday, following the recent rescue of
Omolola Ajayi, the Nigerian woman suspected to have been trafficked to Lebanon.
According to information from the Office of Nigeria in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Omolola is now in the hands of the Nigerian
ambassador in Beirut expected back home soon.
Ajayi had cried out for help in a video that had gone viral, claiming that she was sold into slavery in Lebanon.
abroad, stressed that all those involved should desist from the act.
She said “the conduct of somebodies who play prominent roles in trafficking Nigerians to volatile countries for sexual exploitation is highly
unpatriotic.”
She added that NAPTIP was planning to push for a national policy against the recruitment of Nigerians to some of the noxious continents.
According to the director-general, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) command in Kwara arrested three suspects in
connection with recruitment and trafficking of the rescued girl to Lebanon through inter-agency collaboration.
She explained that “upon receipt of the information, which went viral on social media platforms, the Intelligence and International
Cooperation Unit (IICU) of NAPTIP swung into action.
“This was in collaboration with officers of the NSCDC in Kwara and arrested the suspects in Ilorin.
“Those arrested included a Lebanese and two Nigerians, with one as a lawyer.
“Upon further investigation, it was gathered that the victim, a 23-year-old single mother, was deceived to believe
that she was being recruited to Lebanon to teach the English language in one of the schools.
“She was deceived that she would earn huge amount of money monthly that would be enough to take care of her
child that she left in Nigeria.”
She said “it is important at this point to say that NAPTIP exercised serious caution in the rescue process because the
traffickers, who were not ready to let her go, threatened to amputate her hands should anyone contact her.’’
According to the D-G, as part of NAPTIP’s investigation, the Osogbo Zonal Command of the agency invited Ajayi’s
parents and other close relations who may have played direct or indirect roles in her trafficking to Lebanon.
She commended the role played by NSCDC Kwara Command, noting that their action demonstrated effective inter-agency collaboration.
She said that NAPTIP would soon commence advocacy to all the coordinating bodies of professional associations and other regulatory
bodies in the country, who usually do recruitment for jobs abroad, with a view to engaging them in purposeful dialogue.