A growing human trafficking crisis in Benue State has left hundreds of young girls vulnerable to sexual exploitation, forced labour and modern-day slavery, with poverty, insecurity and displacement creating opportunities for traffickers.
Anti-trafficking campaigner Sughnen Yaaya disclosed that he had intercepted 573 Benue girls within Nigeria since March 2026 and facilitated the return of another 103 from Ghana, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and other countries.
Yaaya also claimed that about 32 girls from the state had died abroad in circumstances linked to trafficking.
According to him, traffickers often lure vulnerable girls with promises of well-paid jobs, accommodation and opportunities to support their families. Some victims are reportedly recruited through relatives, acquaintances or people trusted by their families before being taken to unfamiliar destinations.
Yaaya said he had faced intimidation from suspected traffickers and their associates while carrying out his campaign, adding that inadequate funding and the absence of personal security had made his work increasingly difficult.
Displacement Leaves Children Vulnerable
The Nigerians in Diaspora Organization Africa (NIDO Africa) has also raised concerns about the situation, calling for stronger measures against parents and guardians who knowingly facilitate the trafficking of children.
The organization’s Continental Chairman, Professor Jude Osakwe, said traffickers frequently disguise their activities as legitimate employment opportunities, only for victims to end up in sexual exploitation or forced labour.
He disclosed that NIDO Africa had established task forces in countries including Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire to strengthen efforts to identify, arrest and prosecute suspected traffickers. The organization is also planning vocational training and skills acquisition programmes to help rescued victims rebuild their lives and avoid being trafficked again.
The Director of Public Prosecution in the Benue State Ministry of Justice, Dooshima Ortsega, noted that displaced and out-of-school children were particularly vulnerable because many had lost their homes, education and sources of livelihood.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) also highlighted the scale of the problem following the June 2025 attack on Yelewata. Its Makurdi Zonal Commander, Hembadoon Kuma, said more than 400 children were taken away from the community, while 100 were subsequently rescued. Of those rescued, 97 had been reunited with their families, while three remained at a NAPTIP shelter as efforts continued to locate their parents.
Transport Operators Join Anti-Trafficking Efforts
Benue Links, the state-owned transport company, has become part of the response. Its General Manager, Alexander Fanafa, said the company had intercepted and transported about 250 trafficked persons or potential victims back to their communities as of August 2026.
Monitoring officers at its terminals have been trained to identify suspicious travel arrangements and refer suspected cases to NAPTIP, the police, the Department of State Services or other relevant agencies.
Fanafa added that the company had been directed to transport confirmed victims found elsewhere in Nigeria back to Benue without charge and support their reunification with their families.
Meanwhile, the wife of the Tor Tiv, Professor Felicia Ayati, has reportedly been supporting rescued victims and encouraging them to acquire vocational skills before returning to their communities.
Francis Odiir, Secretary of the Campaign for Equal Rights and Opportunities for all Nigerians, identified poverty and insecurity as major factors driving trafficking in the state. He called on the Benue State Government to take urgent action to protect vulnerable residents.
The growing crisis has reinforced calls for stronger collaboration among government agencies, transport operators, community leaders and civil society groups.
Beyond rescuing victims, stakeholders say sustained prevention, education, economic opportunities and rehabilitation are essential to reducing the vulnerability that traffickers continue to exploit.
