The Enugu State Police Command has dismantled a suspected transnational human trafficking operation, arresting a 50-year-old suspect and rescuing a 20-year-old woman allegedly being trafficked for cross-border prostitution.
The arrest and rescue were confirmed in a statement issued on Thursday in Enugu by the Command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe. He said operatives of the Igbo-Eze South Police Division acted on credible intelligence on January 16, leading to the successful intervention.
According to preliminary investigations, the victim, an indigene of Abia State, was allegedly deceived into resigning from her job in Aba after being promised a better-paying employment opportunity in Senegal. The offer later turned out to be linked to prostitution.
Ndukwe disclosed that at about 7:00 p.m. on the same day, the suspect, who reportedly operates from the Amorji-Nike area of Enugu, took the victim to a shrine in Alor-Agu Community, Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area. The visit was allegedly carried out on the instructions of other members of the trafficking syndicate, who are currently at large.
The shrine visit, police said, was intended to compel the victim to swear an oath of allegiance ahead of her planned trafficking to Senegal. Acting swiftly on the information received at about 8:00 p.m., the Divisional Police Officer led operatives to the location, where the suspect was arrested and the victim rescued.
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The police spokesperson said the victim has since been debriefed and reunited with her family, while investigations continue to dismantle the wider trafficking network. He added that the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mr Mamman Giwa, has directed the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to take over the case to ensure all individuals connected to the syndicate are arrested and prosecuted.
Reaffirming the Command’s commitment, Ndukwe said the Enugu State Police remain resolute in combating human trafficking and related crimes, urging the public to provide timely and credible information to support law enforcement efforts.