ENUGU POLICE RESCUE TRAFFICKED WOMAN, ARREST SUSPECT IN TRANSNATIONAL SCHEME
Read Time:1 Minute, 38 Second
By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Enugu State Police Command has uncovered a transnational human trafficking syndicate and rescued a 25-year-old woman who was trafficked to Mali and forced into prostitution.
The operation also led to the arrest of a 69-year-old suspect, Mr Eze Boniface, who allegedly played a central role in the trafficking network.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed on Tuesday that Boniface was apprehended by operatives of the Igbo-Eze North Police Division on January 21, following a complaint lodged by the victim’s parents.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect and his accomplices, who remain at large, lured the victim and her family in May 2023 with a fraudulent promise of well-paying employment abroad.
“The suspect and his cohorts allegedly deceived the victim and her parents with the promise of securing her employment in a textile company in a foreign country, where she would earn $100 daily,” Ndukwe said.
Instead of legitimate work, the victim was reportedly taken to Mali, where she was held against her will and forced into sex work. The syndicate reportedly earned at least 500,000 CFA francs from her exploitation before she was rescued.
Following the development, the Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, directed the Deputy Commissioner in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department to lead an expanded investigation into the case. The move is aimed at dismantling the trafficking network, uncovering other criminal activities linked to the syndicate, and arresting all suspects involved.
The Commissioner of Police also warned residents, particularly young people and their families, to be cautious of so-called “travel-and-work” offers.
“He urged parents, guardians, and young people to be wary of false promises of lucrative jobs and a better life abroad, and to avoid falling victim to the criminal schemes of human traffickers,” the statement added.
Efforts are ongoing to track down other members of the syndicate who remain at large.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0