The Nigerian Navy’s Badagry Forward Operating Base has successfully intercepted and rescued nine young women suspected to be victims of human trafficking.
The individuals have since been handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons for further investigation.
According to The PUNCH, the Navy’s Base Information Officer, Lt. B.C. Awodeyi, detailed how the Navy’s Quick Response Team intercepted two separate groups between October 11 and October 13, 2024, during routine operations at key maritime locations in Badagry.
The first incident occurred at approximately 4:21 p.m. on October 11, when a fibre boat traveling from Mile 2, Lagos, to Panshi Jetty was stopped by the Navy’s QRT.
A search of the passengers revealed five young women, aged between 19 and 32, who were suspected to be trafficking victims. According to Lt. Awodeyi, the women were unaware of their final destination.
“They disclosed that they had been instructed to contact someone upon their arrival at Panshi, who would then transport them to the Republic of Benin and Ghana, with promises of a better life,” she said.
Just two days later, on October 13, at around 3:15 p.m., another fibre boat en route to Panshi Owode was intercepted at Tongeji Island, Badagry. Four more women, aged between 19 and 24, were found onboard, also suspected to be victims of trafficking.
Similar to the first group, they had been given contact details to use upon arrival, with intentions of transporting them further to Guinea and Togo.
“The circumstances surrounding the second group mirrored those of the first, with the women having no clear knowledge of where they were headed or who would meet them,” Lt. Awodeyi added.
The Navy transferred all nine victims to NAPTIP’s Ikeja Zonal Office in Lagos on Tuesday, following the Harmonised Standard Procedures on Arrest, Detention, and Prosecution of 2016.
Lt. Awodeyi emphasized that the FOB Badagry remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of Nigeria’s maritime domain, particularly within the Gulf of Guinea. “Our actions align with the Chief of Naval Staff’s Strategic Directive 2023-2026, which aims to secure a safe maritime environment,” she said.
