A 2025 report on trafficking in persons in Nigeria, released by the US Department of State, has made a shocking revelation that the Nigerian government and Borno State government returned several trafficked victims to their Boko Haram husbands, while some were returned to their traffickers.
According to the report, the Nigerian government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas in its fight against trafficking in persons; hence, the most populous African country remains on Tier 2 classification.
The report said, “Efforts to identify and protect trafficking victims among vulnerable populations, especially women and children allegedly associated with non-state armed groups, IDPs, and children exploited in begging and domestic work, were inadequate.”
It further noted that due to insufficient screening efforts, the “federal and Borno State governments did not take effective measures to prevent the re-victimization or inappropriate penalization of potential victims solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked, including among women and girls allegedly associated with Boko Haram.
“In some cases, authorities detained or returned victims to their Boko Haram husbands and traffickers.”
The report also revealed that corruption involving trafficking crimes, including among law enforcement officials and the judiciary, remained a significant concern and contributed to impunity for human traffickers in Nigeria.
“The quantity and quality of shelter services, especially for men, were insufficient,” it said.
According to the report, “Corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes, including among designated officials with responsibilities to combat human trafficking, remained significant concerns, inhibiting law enforcement action and perpetuating impunity for trafficking crimes.”
The report, which is the latest after the 2023 report, stated that the Nigerian government only initiated the prosecution of one Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS) official for sex trafficking crimes within the period under review.
“Prosecutions of one Civilian Joint Task Force member for alleged sex trafficking remained pending,” the report stated.
It further noted that during the previous reporting period (2023), NAPTIP sacked five staff members, including a deputy director, and demoted three staff members for complicity in trafficking crimes, including soliciting bribes and leaking confidential information to trafficking suspects; “however, the government did not report initiating any prosecutions of the officials.”
It also noted that observers reported that some law enforcement, “military, and other government officials committed trafficking crimes, accepted bribes to facilitate trafficking, or obstructed justice by interfering with investigations.”
According to the report, observers also reported that some security officers sexually abused and exploited internally displaced persons (IDPs), including children, in and around Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
The report added, “Endemic judicial corruption impeded prosecutions and convictions of most crimes, including human trafficking.”
It specifically stated, “The High Courts had jurisdiction over trafficking cases; however, in practice, cases were sometimes tried in state courts, which heard lower-level or misdemeanor crimes.
“Local judges did not have the same standardized training requirements as federal and state judges, which contributed to corruption and misapplication of the law.
“Illegal activities of non-state armed groups hindered law enforcement efforts, especially in northern Nigeria.”
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