The 2025 tr+fficking in Persons (TIP) report released by the U.S. Department of State has accused the Nigerian government and Borno State authorities of returning tr+fficking victims to their Boko Haram “husbands” and, in some cases, to their tr+ffickers.
According to the report, Nigeria failed to meet minimum standards in key areas of the fight against human tr+fficking and remains on the Tier 2 Watch List. It said authorities provided inadequate protection for vulnerable groups, particularly women, children, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and children forced into begging and domestic work.
The report noted that weak victim screening led to “re-victimization and inappropriate penalization,” with some women and girls detained or handed back to insurgents. It also pointed to corruption among law enforcement and judiciary officials as a major barrier to justice, adding that shelter services for victims—especially men—were grossly insufficient.
During the review period, only one Nigerian Immigration Service officer was prosecuted for s+x tr+fficking, while a case involving a Civilian Joint Task Force member remains pending. Although NAPTIP dismissed or demoted staff over tr+fficking-related misconduct in 2023, the government failed to initiate prosecutions.
The report further alleged that some security personnel s+x¥ally ab¥sed displaced persons in Maiduguri and surrounding areas, while judicial corruption and lack of training for local judges impeded prosecutions. Insecurity in northern Nigeria was also said to hinder enforcement efforts.
The U.S. report concluded that corruption, official complicity, and inadequate victim protection continue to undermine Nigeria’s anti-trafficking response, leaving victims at risk of further exploitation.
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