The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) said it recently dismantled a ring of women that specializes in sourcing and renting out babies to be used for begging in Nyanya in the Federal Capital Territory.
NAPTIP said the women rent out the babies for as low as N3,000 for a day and are responsible for the high rate of child beggars in the FCT and other parts of Nigeria.
The Director General of the agency, Fatima Waziri-Azi disclosed this at a press briefing on Tuesday to commemorate the 20th anniversary of NAPTIP and the 2023 World Day Against Human Trafficking.
She warned women involved in the practice to stop it, just as she disclosed that 1.6 million Nigerians live in modern-day slavery.
Waziri-Azi he said the agency is collaborating with critical stakeholders in its fight against trafficking in humans.
In his address, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Nasir Gwarzo, commended NAPTIP for its work over 20 years.
He highlighted the agency's milestone achievements including 14,813 reported cases of human trafficking, 10,000 arrests, 623 convictions, and the recent extradition of a high-profile human trafficker to Italy to serve time in jail in the European country.
