Police rescue 37 trafficking victims, arrest 10 suspects in Niger State
By: Zagazola Makama
The Niger State Police Command has rescued 37 victims of human trafficking and arrested 10 suspected traffickers from various West African countries following a coordinated operation in Minna.
Zagazola learnt that the operation was carried out by detectives from the Department of Criminal Investigation (CID) in collaboration with INTERPOL Abuja after credible intelligence was received.
Police sources disclosed that the case was referred by the Commissioner of Police in charge of INTERPOL, CP Yemi Ajayi, who had tracked the syndicate’s movement into Minna.
“Acting on the intelligence, operatives swung into action on July 18 at about 12:30 p.m., traced and rescued 37 victims who had been trafficked into the country through various illegal routes,” the statement said.
The victims include nationals of Côte d’Ivoire (24), Mali (7), Senegal (2), Guinea Conakry (3), and Burkina Faso (1).
Ten suspected ringleaders were arrested during the operation. They are: Seiwu Doumbia – Côte d’Ivoire, Thiarno Balbe – Guinea Conakry, Hashimu Dauda Kolo – Nigeria, Usman Doumbia – Côte d’Ivoire, Musa Konate – Côte d’Ivoire, Lamins Watara – Senegal, Racin Diouf – Niger Republic, Adamu Zarbu – Burkina Faso, Alhassan Konde – Guinea Conakry and Dango Aminatu – Burkina Faso.
Police sources said most of the suspects had no valid travel documents, and during interrogation, they claimed they came to Nigeria for “online business,” though only one among them could communicate in English, albeit not fluently.
The victims are currently in protective custody, while investigations are ongoing to uncover the full extent of the trafficking network.
A Police top official assured that it would work closely with international partners and relevant agencies to ensure justice is served and the victims are safely repatriated to their countries.
