The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) stormed a hotel in the Sabon Gari area of Kano State on Thursday, February 12, 2026, acting on credible intelligence freed seven vulnerable women who had been held captive and moments away from being shipped to Baghdad, Iraq.
These young women, all between 21 and 24 years old, hail from southern Nigeria where economic hardship often pushes families to trust smooth-talking recruiters.
They were transported hundreds of kilometers north to Kano, a bustling transit hub that traffickers exploit for its anonymity and connections.
Authorities revealed that Kano served as the final staging point before the victims' planned deportation to Iraq, where they were to endure forced labour under brutal conditions.
NAPTIP Public Relations Officer in Kano, Mohammed Habib, confirmed the dramatic operation.
Two suspects were arrested on the spot, while a third remains at large.
Preliminary investigations show the women were deceived with promises of lucrative jobs abroad, only to face a sinister reality of exploitation.
Statements from the rescued women pointed to a ruthless female suspect as the ringleader.
She allegedly coordinated the entire scheme alongside a male accomplice now being hunted by law enforcement.
The travel plan demanded that the victims repay all expenses plus additional "profit" once in Iraq, trapping them in a debt bondage that experts describe as modern slavery.
The rescued women now receive vital care in NAPTIP custody in Kano, including counselling and rehabilitation to help them rebuild shattered lives.
Many come from close-knit families who believed they were securing better futures for their loved ones, only to face unimaginable betrayal.
NAPTIP reaffirmed its resolve to dismantle these networks.
The suspects will face court once investigations conclude.
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