The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested two men suspected of leading a human trafficking syndicate operating between Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire. The suspects, 32-year-old Emmanuel Uzor Igwe and 30-year-old Ugochukwu Christian, were apprehended at their residence in Lugbe, Abuja, which also served as their operational base.
The arrests followed credible intelligence and public outcry sparked by a viral video shared by human rights activist and social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan (VDM). In the video, victims stranded in Côte d’Ivoire named the suspects, prompting VDM to visit NAPTIP’s headquarters in Abuja and collaborate with the agency in its rescue efforts.
During the raid, NAPTIP operatives rescued two young women who had been recruited from an eastern state in Nigeria under the pretense of securing well-paid jobs at a shopping mall in Côte d’Ivoire. One of the victims recounted being taken to a shrine outside Abuja to swear an oath before being trafficked. She also revealed that the traffickers demanded 2.2 million CFA francs as repayment for the supposed job opportunity.
NAPTIP stated that the arrests are part of a broader operation aimed at dismantling transnational trafficking networks across West Africa. The agency’s Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, expressed determination to eradicate human trafficking in Nigeria and acknowledged the support of partners like VDM.
Investigations are ongoing, and discussions have been initiated with both state and non-state actors in Côte d’Ivoire to rescue other victims still stranded in the country. The suspects will be prosecuted if found culpable.
