Police arrest two suspected human traffickers Ejiofor Izuchukwu and Nzube Okafor, for allegedly attempting to traffic 10 girls to Dubai

Ejiofor Izuchukwu and Nzube Okafor, two suspected human traffickers, have been arrested in Nigeria for allegedly attempting to traffic ten girls to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Usman Belel, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos State, confirmed this during a press briefing on Friday, saying the victims were rescued in the Republic of Benin, following an intelligence report received through the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department from a non-governmental organization.

“On August 8, 2021, the bureau received an intelligence report from a non-governmental organization through the Nigeria Police Force State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, Lagos, that ten girls were about to be trafficked to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, through Cotonou and were lodged at NIS Hotel, near Scoa Gbeto, Cotonou, Republic of Benin, in preparation for their departure,” he said.

“Our counterpart at the National Centre Bureau in Abuja, INTETPOL, was able to notify our counterpart at the NCB in Cotonou, who swung into action and apprehended two suspects, rescued the ten girls, and repatriated them to Nigeria. Ejiofor Izuvhukwu and Nzube Okafor are the suspects’ names. Gold Uwaifor, 13; Ella Moses, 21; Abigail Onyenweaku, 26; Alex Destiny, 21; Ebri Ikpi, 23; Samuel Igwe, 24; Debby Noyogiere, 23; Eneh Inalegwu, 21; Akuchi Nndubuisi, 32; Happiness Ndukwe, 25” are among the rescued victims.

According to the AIG, the traffickers were members of a syndicate based in Dubai, with some agents in Nigeria and Cotonou, who were discovered during the investigation.

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“They (suspects) were able to obtain some of the victims’ passports from Nigeria, while others were obtained from the Republic of Benin with the help of some immigration officers who backdated the stamp on their passports to meet the two-week quarantine period despite their arrival in the Republic of Benin only a few days before their rescue. They were supposed to be airlifted to Dubai on August 19, 2021. On this note, the ten girls are hereby handed over to the National Agency for the Prevention of Human Trafficking for further action, while INTERPOL assists the agency in locating and arresting other members of the syndicate in their countries of residence,” he added.

In another development, the AIG confirmed the arrest of four suspects, Owolabi Sodiq, 28, Michael Shittu, 28, Olaide Opeifa, 40, and Olanrewaju Maja, in the Ijede Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, for allegedly killing one Ifeanyi Godfrey, 52.