The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 26-year-old suspected human trafficker and rescued a 25-year-old woman allegedly lured to Côte d’Ivoire under the guise of learning a hairdressing trade before being forced into prostitution.
The arrest followed a petition alleging that the suspect, identified as Ese Betty Isiorho, deceived the victim with false promises of vocational training abroad.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, investigations revealed that upon arriving in Côte d’Ivoire, the victim was allegedly forced into commercial sex work instead of receiving the promised training.
Acting on the petition, operatives of the Effurun Area Command launched an investigation that led to the arrest of the suspect.
During interrogation, police said the suspect confessed to trafficking the rescued victim and another young woman, both in their twenties, to Côte d’Ivoire, where they were allegedly handed over to a woman identified only as Madam Purity for the purpose of prostitution.
The command disclosed that sustained investigative efforts and collaboration with relevant stakeholders led to the successful rescue and repatriation of the 25-year-old victim to Nigeria.
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The victim has since been reunited with her family and is currently receiving medical attention.
Police said efforts are ongoing to secure the release and safe return of the second victim, who is believed to still be in Côte d’Ivoire, as well as to apprehend other members of the suspected trafficking syndicate.
Commending the officers involved in the operation, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, praised their professionalism and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating human trafficking and other forms of organised crime.
He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious recruitment schemes and activities linked to human trafficking, assuring that the command would continue to intensify efforts to dismantle trafficking networks and bring perpetrators to justice.