The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has arrested two suspected masterminds of a cross-border human trafficking network in Abuja, recovering two victims in a raid on their residence.
A statement issued by Press Officer of the agency, Vincent Adekoye on Thursday, disclosed that the suspects, identified as Emmanuel Uzor Igwe, 32, and Ugochukwu Christian, 30, were arrested in their luxurious mansion located in Lugbe, Abuja.
The residence, which also served as the gang’s operational base, was stormed by NAPTIP operatives following credible intelligence and support from sister security agencies.
The victims, who were rescued during the operation, revealed they were recruited from an eastern state and lured with promises of lucrative employment at a shopping mall in Côte d’Ivoire.
“ One of them disclosed they were made to swear an oath at a shrine outside Abuja and were subjected to sexual exploitation in preparation for prostitution.
“They told me I’d be paid in foreign currencies at the mall in Ivory Coast, but that I must pay them 2.2 million CFA. They took us to a shrine three hours away from Gwagwalada for an oath. I don’t know the exact location,” one of the victims said.
The arrests came after human rights activist and social media influencer, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), raised alarm over the plight of some Nigerian victims stranded in Côte d’Ivoire. VDM had earlier visited NAPTIP headquarters and shared details about the syndicate online
The suspects, after being exposed, reportedly called their victims and threatened them with violence if they refused to comply with the trafficking arrangement.
Reacting to the development, the Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, said the agency would continue its clampdown on human trafficking syndicates across the country and beyond.
“This arrest is part of our deliberate effort to dismantle trafficking networks within and outside Nigeria. The suspects are part of a trans-border criminal gang operating within the West African region,” she said.
Bello commended VDM and other partners for their support, adding, “The game is over for human traffickers in Nigeria. NAPTIP is ready to choke their operations unless they desist.”
She also disclosed that efforts were underway to rescue other victims stranded in Côte d’Ivoire and promised that anyone found culpable in the ongoing investigation would face prosecution.
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