The Enugu State Police Command has busted a transnational human trafficking syndicate involved in cross-border prostitution, arresting a 50-year-old suspect and rescuing a 20-year-old female victim.
The arrest and rescue were confirmed in a statement issued on Thursday in Enugu by the Command’s Spokesman, SP Daniel Ndukwe.
According to Ndukwe, operatives of the Igbo-Eze South Police Division acted on credible intelligence on January 16, leading to the detention of the suspect and the rescue of the victim, whose identity has been withheld for security reasons
Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim, a native of Abia State, was allegedly lured into the trafficking ring after being deceived into resigning from her job in Aba.
She was reportedly promised a more lucrative employment opportunity in Senegal, which later turned out to be prostitution-related.
Ndukwe disclosed that at about 7:00 p.m. on the same day, the suspect, said to be operating from Amorji-Nike area of Enugu, allegedly took the victim to a shrine located in Alor-Agu Community, Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area.
The visit, he said, was carried out on the instructions of other syndicate members who are currently at large.
The shrine visit was reportedly meant for the victim to swear an oath of allegiance ahead of her planned trafficking to Senegal.
“Upon receiving the information at about 8:00 p.m., the Divisional Police Officer immediately led a team of operatives to the location,” Ndukwe said. “The suspect was detained and the victim rescued.”
The police spokesperson added that the victim has since been debriefed and reunited with her family, while investigations are ongoing to dismantle the wider trafficking network and apprehend other suspects linked to the crime.
He further stated that the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mr Mamman Giwa, has directed the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to take over the case and ensure that all individuals connected to the trafficking syndicate are arrested and prosecuted.
Reaffirming the Command’s stance, Ndukwe said the Enugu State Police Command remains resolute in combating human trafficking, prostitution, and other related crimes, urging members of the public to continue to provide timely and credible information to aid law enforcement efforts.