By Patrick Idowu
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has dismantled a notorious human trafficking network operating out of Abuja and arrested two alleged kingpins in a dramatic raid on a luxury estate in Lugbe.
The suspects, aged 33 and 30, were nabbed after victims stranded in Côte d’Ivoire named them during distress calls with popular social media activist and rights campaigner, Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan.
According to NAPTIP’s Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, the mansion where the suspects were caught served as both a base of operations and residence.
It was fortified with high-tech security devices, complicating the operation, but NAPTIP agents were able to breach the premises and rescue two victims.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the victims had been lured from Eastern Nigeria with promises of high-paying jobs in Côte d’Ivoire, only to be trapped in sexual exploitation and forced to take oaths of secrecy at a shrine outside Abuja.
“They told me I would earn good money, but later demanded repayment of 2.2 million CFA francs,” one victim said. “We were taken to a shrine about three hours from Gwagwalada to swear an oath.”
The arrest followed VDM’s formal report to NAPTIP on April 10 after a viral video exposed the traffickers threatening their victims with violence if they failed to submit to prostitution or repay the promised amount.
Director-General of NAPTIP, Hajia Binta Adamu-Bello, praised the collaboration that led to the breakthrough.
“This is a major win in our fight against cross-border trafficking. We promised swift action, and we have delivered,” she said.
She added that the agency is working closely with partners in neighbouring countries to rescue other victims and assured the public that all those involved in the syndicate will be brought to justice.
Adamu-Bello also commended VDM for his dedication. “His advocacy and commitment to justice played a crucial role in cracking this case,” she noted.
NAPTIP said investigations are ongoing and promised to intensify its crackdown on trafficking networks both in Nigeria and abroad.
