5,000 Nigerian girls trapped in Mali - NAPTIP

5,000 Nigerian girls are currently trapped in Mali, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (

According to NAPTIP, the girls, who are victims of trafficking, are being used for prostitution in Mali.

The agency made the comments via a statement released by spokesman, Josiah Emerole on Wednesday, March 1.

The statement reads:

“The NAPTIP has commenced investigation into the trafficking into Mali of the 37 female Nigerians. Four female suspects were also deported. a victims are being counselled by NAPTIP counsellors, while the suspects are in custody, making useful statements.”

“The repatriation of the Nigerians was assisted by the Defence Headquarters, Abuja. The girls were said to be already posing a security risk to Mali. Reports indicate that over 5,000 Nigerian females are presently in different parts of Mali being forced into prostitution by their traffickers who had promised to help them to Europe.

“The acting Director General of NAPTIP, Mr. Abdulrazak Dangiri, has put in place, measures that would be presented to government to ensure that all other victims stranded in Mali and other parts of Africa are rescued and brought back to Nigeria.”

ALSO READ:NAPTIP rescues 146 victims of human trafficking in Kano

The statement comes following the return of 41 Nigerian human trafficking victims from Mali on Monday.

The victims were flown from Bamako to Lagos by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Monday night.