EDO AGENCY RESCUES TRAFFICKED INDIGENES FROM BURKINA FASO, ONE VICTIM LEFT BLIND AFTER ABUSE

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Agency Report

The Edo State Migration Agency has rescued and repatriated three trafficked indigenes from Burkina Faso, including a young woman who lost her sight following severe abuse.

The Director-General of the agency, Lucky Agazuma, disclosed this on Tuesday while briefing journalists at Benin Airport, describing the situation as both “a happy and a sad day” due to the victims’ ordeal.

Agazuma said the rescue operation was initiated after Nigeria’s ambassador to Burkina Faso, Muhammad Danladi, alerted the Edo State Government to the plight of stranded indigenes in the country. He added that Governor Monday Okpebholo immediately ordered intervention upon receiving the report.

According to him, one of the victims was lured to Burkina Faso under false pretences, only to be imprisoned upon arrival until the agency secured his release.

He further revealed that two young women were trafficked with promises of employment but were forced into prostitution. Their refusal, he said, resulted in brutal treatment by their traffickers.

“One of the victims was beaten and subjected to inhuman treatment to the extent that she lost her sight. She will be taken straight to the hospital for urgent medical attention as directed by the governor,” Agazuma said.

The agency also disclosed that efforts to locate the family of the visually impaired victim, believed to be from the Uselu area of Edo State, have so far been unsuccessful, prompting an appeal to the public for assistance.

Agazuma noted that intelligence gathered prior to the operation led to the arrest of one suspected trafficker, while investigations are ongoing to dismantle the network.

The rescued victims—identified as Precious, Peace, and Evans—are currently receiving care and undergoing rehabilitation as part of the state’s reintegration programme.

Evans recounted that he travelled to Burkina Faso in January 2026 but was immediately arrested and detained until his case came to the attention of the Edo State Government.

The agency reaffirmed its commitment to combating human trafficking and ensuring the safe return and rehabilitation of affected citizens.