From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The Benue State government, in collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and other partner organisations, has rescued 63 trafficked citizens of the state in the past year.
The rescued victims include an infant nearly sold by their biological mother in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
The Principal Special Assistant (PSA) to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Human Trafficking and Child Labour, Hon. Emmanuel Anundu, disclosed this on Thursday, August 7, 2025, while briefing journalists on the achievements of his office over the past year.
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Anundu noted that the Alia administration is working diligently to curb human trafficking and child labour in and around Benue State. He also disclosed that 16 suspected traffickers were arrested within the period, with seven prosecuted and convicted.
He lamented the challenges faced by the younger generation, who are daily trafficked by individuals devoid of humanity, describing the briefing as a call to action against human trafficking and child labour in Benue State and Nigeria as a whole.
Anundu praised Governor Hyacinth Alia for demonstrating capacity, showing unwavering commitment, and providing funding and logistics to eradicate this menace. He highlighted that the establishment of the PSA office on human trafficking and child labour is the first of its kind in Benue and Northern Nigeria, urging other states to emulate it.
“The office, in collaboration with NAPTIP, the Nigerian Immigration Service, international organisations, and various NGOs, has achieved a notable reduction in human trafficking incidents in the past year, as evidenced by the recent ranking in the global human trafficking index, which dropped from 13.2% to 12.0%,” he said.
Anundu stated that his office has established a working synergy with the Nigeria Police Force to foster cooperation in curbing human trafficking in the state and strengthened diplomatic partnerships with the Nigerian Immigration Service, Benue State Command, which has been instrumental in recovering victims.
He provided a breakdown of key achievements:
– Facilitated the repatriation of Benue State victims of human trafficking from Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Chad, and Niger, with support from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
– Coordinated the rescue of two young girls deceived and trafficked from Benue State to Lagos by Mrs Erdoo Awume, initiating legal action against the culprit.
– Escalated the investigation of an Igbo woman apprehended in Masaka, Karu LGA, Nasarawa State, for kidnapping two girls allegedly from Katsina-Ala, Benue State, and facilitated their repatriation.
– Rescued three ladies from Logo LGA trafficked to Lagos and nearly taken to Ghana for sex slavery.
– Arrested and prosecuted Mr Samuel for luring ladies into pornography, constituting a serious cybercrime within the state.
– Rescued female students from Tiley Gyado College from traffickers intending to send them to Libya for commercial sex work.
Anundu noted that, in collaboration with the Benue State Fashion Hub, the state government has created training programmes for trafficking survivors to help them become economically viable and self-reliant. His office has also partnered with the media to lead public education campaigns on the dangers and risks of human trafficking.
He acknowledged the efforts of the Benue State Taskforce Against Human Trafficking, as well as religious and traditional leaders, in working towards a trafficking-free state. Anundu solicited continued collaboration from all stakeholders to achieve the goal of zero percent human trafficking and child labour in Benue.
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