750,000 Trafficked Persons Not Limited To Akwa Ibom State, NAPTIP Clarifies

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Akwa Ibom Zonal Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP has distanced itself from news report profiling the State as a haven for human trafficking and organ harvesting.

The Source reports that the State Command of the Agency was, last  week, quoted as having accused hospitals in Akwa Ibom of indulgence in organ harvesting.

It was also said to have noted that there were no fewer than 750,000 recorded cases of human trafficking in 2024.

The report was, however, said to have greatly strained the Agency’s relationship with its host State Government, Akwa Ibom, the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA,  and others  which have come to perceive the report as a huge embarrassment .

But in a statement on Monday, January, 13, 2025, the Akwa Ibom State NAPTIP Command spokesperson, Eme Ukpabio, insisted that the body’s earlier position was completely quoted out of context.

She noted that her statement bordering on organ harvesting was made to draw attention to the dynamic and evolving nature of the issue of human trafficking in the country and the world at large.

According to her, the statement was not made with the intention to disparage individuals or corporate entities  over the growing cases of human trafficking and organ harvesting ,but to raise awareness on the  dangers posed by the practice.

” My attention has been drawn to the publications by some national newspapers and online media organizations that clinics and hospitals in Akwa Ibom state indulge in organ harvesting and that an organ harvesting suspect was subsequently arrested in the State.

“I, therefore, want to put the record straight as follows:

“That my statement on the organ harvesting was intended to draw attention of stakeholders to the dynamism and evolving nature of human trafficking in all the states in Nigeria and globally.

“That the statement was to highlight the need for collective efforts of all stakeholders including sister law enforcement agencies ,CSOs, development partners, State and non-State actors among others and that NAPTIP never accused any entity within the state of organ harvesting.

“That my statement translated to fact that there is possible suspicion of organ harvesting in the state as it is in other states in Nigeria

“I also want to put the records straight that the statistics or data that 750,000 to one million persons trafficked yearly from Nigeria which Akwa Ibom State is part, was drawn from UNODCS google report of June 2023 which states that- between 750,000 to one million persons are trafficked annually from Nigeria, and I added that Akwa Ibom State is one of the Nigerian States that is endemic”, part of the statement reads .

The statement also acknowledged the efforts of the administration of Governor Umo Eno in the fight against human trafficking.

“Specifically, it lauded the State Government for setting up an anti-trafficking taskforce, in the office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, ,as well as the creation of Humanitarian Affairs Ministry.

The NAPTIP spokesperson similarly underscored the robust collaborative efforts and support of the state Government in renewed fight against human trafficking.

She, therefore, assured that the agency will continue to work closely with the Akwa Ibom State authorities ,the Nigeria Medical Association NMA, and other relevant stakeholders to combat the problem of human trafficking.