Eric Patrick
The Nigerian Police Force has arrested two wanted fugitives, Felix Omoregie aka “Eghosa Johnson Omoregie,” a suspected ringleader of a human trafficking syndicate wanted by Belgian authorities, and Okwudili Sabastine Ezeje, a key member of a Dubai-based armed robbery gang.
Felix Omoregie, the alleged mastermind of a large-scale human trafficking operation, had been declared wanted by the Belgian authorities through an INTERPOL Red Notice issued on 19th December 2023, and was arrested in Benin City, Edo State, following diligent intelligence and enforcement efforts by Police operatives.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
Omoregie is accused of trafficking young Nigerian women—including minors—to Italy and subsequently dispersing them across Europe for sexual exploitation.
According to the statement, Victims were subjected to voodoo-based oaths and psychological coercion, with fabricated debts ranging between €20,000 and €50,000 used to manipulate and control them.
Adejobi stated that Omoregie’s criminal network involved handlers in Brussels and France who managed the victims’ activities and remitted proceeds to him.
Following a conviction in absentia in Belgium in 2021 for multiple counts of aggravated human trafficking and criminal organisation leadership, Omoregie fled to Nigeria.
Upon his arrest, a search of his premises revealed incriminating materials, including a photocopy of a passport intended for a planned relocation to Canada.
Omoregie is scheduled to be arraigned at the Federal High Court in Benin City.
In a separate operation, the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, apprehended 37-year-old Okwudili Sabastine Ezeje at a hideout in Nsukka, Enugu State.
Ezeje is wanted by authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a series of serious crimes including armed robbery, cultism, drug trafficking, and other organized criminal activities.
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Intelligence gathered reveals that Ezeje continued to coordinate criminal operations remotely from Nigeria.
The police revealed that the suspect was directly linked to several high-profile robberies in Dubai and Sharjah, including an armed robbery at a grocery store in Dubai Mall, a targeted hit on Al Ansari Exchange in Jumeirah, and another heist at a Bureau de Change in Jebel Ali Village.
The arrest was the result of strategic intelligence sharing and operational collaboration between the Nigeria Police Force, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), and the Dubai Police.
Ezeje will be arraigned after investigation has been concluded.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commends all
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, hails operatives involved in these high-profile arrests for their professionalism, diligence, and dedication to upholding Nigeria’s international law enforcement obligations.
The Nigeria Police Force says it remains dedicated to strengthening its international policing collaborations and making sure that fugitives cannot find refuge within the nation’s borders.
“These arrests serve as a clear message that criminal elements, no matter how far they run or how long they hide, will be brought to justice,” Egbetokun said.