‘I’ve intercepted 573 Benue girls and returned over 103 victims from abroad since March,’ says activist Yaaya

Sughnen Yaaya, a 36-year-old Nigerian anti-trafficking activist, says he has intercepted 573 girls from Benue State since March 2026 before they were taken out of Nigeria. He says he has also coordinated the return of 103 victims from countries including Ghana, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso, and claims about 32 Benue girls have died abroad in circumstances linked to trafficking. Yaaya says he began his awareness campaign because Benue reportedly has the country’s highest number of trafficking cases; he works with police and local helpers to identify potential victims, including at motor parks and along transport routes.