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NAPTIP: 1.6 million Nigerians living in modern slavery

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NAPTIP: 1.6 million Nigerians living in modern slavery

By: Michael Mike

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has lamented that 1.6 million Nigerians out of the total number of 50 million people worldwide are living in modern slavery.

Addressing a press conference on activities lined up to celebrate the 20 years of establishment of NAPTIP and this year’s World Day Against Human Trafficking, the Director General of the agency, Prof. Fatima Waziri Azi, said the 2023 global slavery index, which estimated has shown that 50 million individuals are living in modern slavery, with at least 1.6 million Nigerians affected.

She said: “For anyone that have followed the NAPTIP story since inception has visibly seen the agency progressed from its very first command in Benin-Edo State to offices in 32 States, the last 7 offices acquired in the past year and a half.

“In 20 years, we have seen the crime of human trafficking spread like wildfire in terms of the enormity, trends and patterns. It has not been an easy fight to dismantle these networks, but we remain undaunted.

“Only recently did the 2023 Global Slavery Index opine that globally, it is estimated that 50 million people were living in modern slavery on any day in 3021, an increase of 10 million people since 2016. What this narrative indicates is the urgent need for a more strategic and deliberate global response to these problems.”

She however said “Nigeria is better poised to control and tackled human trafficking due to the collaborative efforts of everyone,” insisting that: “The public is better informed about issues of human trafficking, and this is due to the amplified visibility of NAPTIP.”

She said: “Nigerians have become their brother’s keeper, looking out for one another and this has increased reportage of issues of human trafficking and violence against persons (domestic and sexual violence).

Also speaking at the briefing, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo who was represented the Director Humanitarian Affairs, Grema Ali highlighted some of the notable achievements of the agency to include awareness campaigns and sensitization strategically designed to educate people about human trafficking, associating violence, and what drives it, especially at the sub-national levels through- community-centered awareness creation in partnership with traditional, religious and community leaders; survivor’s advocacy campaigns; school campaigns as well as digital and traditional media campaigns.

Also part of the achievements, according to him, include the establishment of secondary school vanguards, rolling out the Trafficking in persons curricula in schools nationwide, Inclusion of Trafficking in Persons issues into the Minimum Standards of Colleges of Education in collaboration with the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), the establishment of a 24/7 Call Centre and Launch of the ‘627’ short code, are all mechanisms that the Agency has put in place to stem the tide of this heinous crime.

The Permanent Secretary also said other milestones of the agency include: 14,813 cases reported; 10,005 suspected traffickers arrested; 623 Convictions (80 convictions in 2022 and 47 in 2023 for now, including the recent extradition of a high-profile human trafficker to Italy to serve her 13 years jail term); 260 ongoing cases in various courts across the country; the rescue of close to 22,000 victims of human trafficking.

He said: “Knowing that issues of human trafficking happen mostly at the sub-national level, NAPTIP has inaugurated the Task Force against Human Trafficking in 22 states. These task forces have over the years amplified the fight against human trafficking and enhanced collaboration with NAPTIP at the state level.

“Other recent and exciting collaborations NAPTIP has forged is the strategic partnership with Meta (owners of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) and with the US. National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). These partnerships have further enhanced the capacity of NAPTIP to tackle issues of online child exploitation, child sexual assault materials and sextortion including the launch of the amber alert on Facebook and Instagram in September 2022, placing Nigeria as the second country in Africa and the 29th in the world with an amber alert on Facebook and Instagram programme.”

NAPTIP: 1.6 million Nigerians living in modern slavery

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One year after Allawa’s fall, displaced residents cry for help as humanitarian crisis deepens in Niger

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One year after Allawa’s fall, displaced residents cry for help as humanitarian crisis deepens in Niger

By U.K. Umar

One year after armed attackers overran Allawa community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, a deepening humanitarian crisis continues to haunt the thousands of people who fled the invasion and now live in makeshift camps with no hope of return.

The silence that hangs over the once-thriving agrarian community of Allawa is not just physical, it is a silence of abandonment, neglect and despair.

Since the violent invasion of April 25, 2024, residents who escaped death have become Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), living in overcrowded primary school buildings, market stalls and half-roofed compounds in neighbouring towns such as Kuta, Erena and Gwada.

Education has been disrupted. Food is uncertain. Healthcare is nearly non-existent. And worse, hope is fading.

At an abandoned block of classrooms now serving as a displacement shelter in Kuta, Zagazola Media Netowork, met Malam Musa Yakubu, a 47-year-old farmer and father of seven. He sat quietly under the shade of a neem tree, surrounded by three of his children, all barefooted and visibly malnourished.

“This place was once my children’s school. Now it is our home,” he said, forcing a smile. “We sleep on broken desks, on bare floor. During rainy nights, we cover ourselves with nylon bags. My wife cries often because she cannot feed our children.”

Malam Yakubu said he grew up in Allawa and owned over 15 hectares of farmland before the invasion. Today, he depends on handouts from well-wishers.

“The last time we received food aid was three months ago. Since then, we have been living on roasted yam and wild leaves. My children have not seen a classroom since we fled.”

Standing nearby was Amina Ibrahim, 16, who said she dropped out of Junior Secondary School following the attack. Now, she spends her days helping her mother hawk groundnuts in Kuta. I want to return to school,” she said quietly. “But how can I go to school when we have no home, no books, and no peace?”

‘My primary school is a ghost town’

For U.K. Umar, a former resident of Allawa and the writer of this report, the tragedy is personal.

“I attended Central Primary School in Allawa, which is now in ruins,” he recalled. “My childhood friends are now scattered across IDP camps. Some lost their parents. Some were taken by the attackers. We were not just displaced. We were forgotten.”

Umar said the displacement was not just the result of one attack, but a culmination of years of insecurity that was never addressed.

“What happened on April 25, 2024, was the final blow. Security agencies left, and armed groups moved in. What followed was a complete collapse of community life. Now, we are a forgotten people.”

Terror in the shadows

Reports from Shiroro LGA suggest that terror groups now control mining activities across several wards including Kurebe, Kwaki and Kushaka. Residents allegethat the attackers collect levies from artisanal gold miners up to N2 million per site every two weeks. Those who fail to comply are barred from mining, while others are punished.

“Their boys come during the day to collect fuel and money. At night, they disappear into the bush. They even settle disputes among locals. It is like a second government,” said a displaced youth who asked not to be named.

Just two weeks ago, five persons were reportedly abducted in Kwanta Yashi. Locals say they fear speaking out, as they are caught between hunger and violence.

‘Even water is a privilege’

In the Erena IDP settlement, Hajia Halima Abdullahi, 60, spoke through tears.

“I used to be a trader. I had goats and chickens. Now, I beg for drinking water. We fetch from a stream one hour away, and sometimes, we boil it. Other times, we drink it raw.”

She said many elderly displaced persons have developed hypertension and respiratory infections due to harsh conditions.

“There are no drugs. No doctors. Sometimes, we use herbs. Our children are falling sick every day.” It was also observed that the camps lack toilets, clean water, mosquito nets, and electricity. In some shelters, more than ten people sleep in one small room.

‘We feel abandoned’

There is growing frustration among displaced residents over what they describe as state government indifference.

“All we hear are promises. No concrete plan. No official has told us when we can return. It is as if our lives no longer matter,” said Ibrahim Zakari, a youth from Allawa now living in Gwada.

He appealed to the Niger State Government and the Federal Government to urgently intervene.
We are Nigerians too. We voted. We paid taxes. We built our homes and schools. Why have we been left to suffer?”

“You cannot keep over 20,000 displaced people in hopeless conditions for over a year and expect stability. Children are out of school. Teenage girls are being married off. Boys are joining vigilante groups. Trauma is spreading like wildfire,” he warned.

He called on the Federal Government to declare a humanitarian emergency in Shiroro LGA and mobilise the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), as well as development partners, to scale up food, water, and shelter support.

“There must be a concrete, time-bound plan for resettlement. These people deserve to go home with safety, dignity, and support.”

Conclusion

One year after the fall of Allawa, the question remains: how long must a people wait?

As Niger State and the Federal Government grapple with rising insecurity, the forgotten people of Allawa continue to live in limbo displaced, distressed, and dangerously ignored.
Their pain is not history. It is ongoing. And unless urgent steps are taken, the crisis may deepen further.

“We have not died,” Malam Musa Yakubu said quietly. “But we are not living either.”

One year after Allawa’s fall, displaced residents cry for help as humanitarian crisis deepens in Niger

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Young man dies after falling into abandoned mining pit in FCT

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Young man dies after falling into abandoned mining pit in FCT

By: Zagazola Makama

A 27-year-old man, Ismail Ahmed, has died after being trapped in an abandoned mining pit in Pangu Village, Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.

Zagazola Makama learnt that the incident happened on Saturday, June 7, during a heavy downpour while Ahmed was washing clothes by a nearby stream.

According to family members, he sought shelter from the rain by entering the old mining hole dug by former gold miners. The soil collapsed due to the heavy rain, trapping him inside.

Community members rescued him and rushed him to Kwali General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The family declined an autopsy and opted for burial according to Islamic rites.

Local residents have been advised to exercise caution and avoid unsafe locations, particularly during the rainy season, to prevent similar tragedies.

Young man dies after falling into abandoned mining pit in FCT

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One killed, two injured as bandits attack worshippers in Zamfara mosque

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One killed, two injured as bandits attack worshippers in Zamfara mosque

By: Zagazola Makama

Atleast one person killed and two others injured following a bandit attack on worshippers during Isha (night) prayers in Dole Moriki village, Moriki District of Zurmi Local Government Area.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the attack occurred at about 8:00 p.m. on Saturday when a group of armed bandits invaded the village and opened fire on Muslim worshippers observing Isha prayers in a local mosque.

“One person was confirmed dead at the scene, while two others sustained varying degrees of injuries as the bandits shot sporadically at worshippers during the prayer session,” the statement said.

Security forces were mobilized to the scene, where efforts were made to repel the attackers and restore calm.

The injured victims and the deceased were taken to General Hospital Moriki, where the wounded are currently receiving treatment. The corpse was later released to relatives for burial according to Islamic rites.

One killed, two injured as bandits attack worshippers in Zamfara mosque

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