Traffickers pose as NGOs to traffic children – NAPTIP

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has warned of traffickers posing as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to gain access to vulnerable communities and traffic children. Traffickers exploit communities affected by insecurity, such as farmer-herder conflicts, by masquerading as representatives of NGOs and offering assistance to families.

These organisations, including community-based and faith-based groups, are targeted by criminal elements who take advantage of their credibility to harvest children. NAPTIP has recently rescued four children in Onitsha, Anambra State, who were allegedly trafficked from Kajuru, Kaduna State, in 2023. The agency plans to profile NGOs to prevent criminal elements from exploiting their credibility and urges Nigerians to be vigilant and report suspicious activities involving organisations seeking to take children away from their families.

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