The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has launched a major crackdown on a transnational human trafficking network, leading to the arrest of two suspected kingpins and the rescue of two victims in Abuja.
The suspects, identified as Emmanuel Uzor Igwe (32) and Ugochukwu Christian (30), were arrested at a luxury mansion in a highbrow estate in Lugbe, Federal Capital Territory. The house, described as a “command base,” was equipped with high-tech security systems, which made access difficult during the operation.
Their arrest followed credible intelligence shared by a sister security agency, as well as information gathered through viral social media videos posted by popular human rights activist and influencer, Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM). He had earlier visited NAPTIP’s headquarters to raise concern over the plight of several Nigerian victims stranded in Côte d’Ivoire.
During the raid led by NAPTIP’s Head of Operations, operatives rescued two young women believed to have been trafficked and forced into sexual exploitation. The victims had been reportedly recruited from an Eastern Nigerian state under the guise of high-paying jobs in Côte d’Ivoire. One of them revealed they were taken to a shrine about three hours from Gwagwalada to swear an oath of secrecy before being confined.
“They told me I’d earn foreign currency working in a mall in Ivory Coast, but I would have to pay back 2.2 million CFA. I didn’t even know where the shrine was; they just took us there,” the victim recounted.
NAPTIP Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, confirmed the arrest and emphasized the agency’s commitment to dismantling all human trafficking rings across Nigeria.
“This operation is a strategic component of our ongoing nationwide onslaught against traffickers. These suspects are part of a transborder syndicate. With our partners across West Africa, including Côte d’Ivoire, we are already working to rescue more victims and bring perpetrators to justice,” she stated.
She commended VDM for his patriotic support and assured that NAPTIP would continue to work with state and non-state actors to curb human trafficking in all forms.
“The game is over for human traffickers in Nigeria. We will choke every avenue available to them. NAPTIP is watching, and we are ready,” she warned.
The agency has launched a full-scale investigation, and the suspects will face prosecution if found culpable.
