By The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has launched a major crackdown on a trans-border human trafficking syndicate, arresting two suspected kingpins in Abuja.
In a statement on Thursday, NAPTIP’s spokesman, Vincent Adekoye, identified the suspects as Emmanuel Uzor Igwe (32) and Ugochukwu Christian (30). The agency said both men were linked to an organised trafficking ring operating across West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea.
Their arrest followed revelations from trafficking victims stranded in Côte d’Ivoire, who named the duo in conversations with human rights activist and social media influencer, Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM). VDM’s visit to NAPTIP’s headquarters in Abuja spurred swift action from the agency.
The suspects were apprehended inside a lavish mansion in a high-end estate in Lugbe, Abuja. According to Adekoye, the mansion doubled as the syndicate’s base of operations and was fortified with high-tech security systems that made access difficult during the raid.
Two victims were rescued during the operation, which was led by NAPTIP’s head of operations and lasted several hours. Adekoye revealed that the victims had been forced to swear oaths of secrecy and were being prepared for sexual exploitation. When agents arrived, the victims were found naked and undergoing disturbing “sexual orientation” rituals.
One of the rescued victims told officials she was promised a high-paying job in a mall in Ivory Coast, with payment in foreign currency. “They said I would earn enough to repay 2.2 million CFA francs. We were taken to a shrine about three hours away from Gwagwalada to swear an oath,” she said, visibly shaken.
The operation was aided by intelligence shared by a sister security agency, along with public outcry and social media pressure following VDM’s advocacy.
NAPTIP’s Director-General, Binta Adamu Bello, affirmed the agency’s resolve to dismantle trafficking rings nationwide. “This is just the beginning. These criminals operate across borders, and we are determined to hunt them down,” she said. “We promised VDM that action would follow his visit—and we are keeping that promise.”
She added that the agency would continue working with influencers, security partners, and the public to raise awareness and protect vulnerable Nigerians from exploitation.
