January 29, (THEWILL) — A 50-year-old suspect has been taken into custody by the Enugu State Police Command after officers dismantled an international human trafficking ring and rescued a 20-year-old woman in the state.
A statement signed on Thursday by the Command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said the arrest and rescue were carried out on January 16 by operatives of the Igbo-Eze South Police Division following actionable intelligence.
According to him, preliminary investigations showed that the victim, a native of Abia State, was allegedly deceived into resigning from her job in Aba with the promise of a more lucrative employment opportunity in Senegal, which later turned out to be prostitution-related.
Ndukwe disclosed that at about 7 p.m. on the same day, the suspect allegedly took the victim to a shrine in Alor-Agu Community, Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area, on the instruction of other syndicate members still at large, where she was made to swear an oath of allegiance ahead of the planned trafficking.
“Upon receiving the information at about 8 p.m., the Divisional Police Officer promptly led a team of operatives to the location, where the suspect was arrested and the victim rescued,” he said, adding that the victim has since been debriefed and reunited with her family, while investigations are ongoing to dismantle the trafficking network and apprehend other suspects connected to the crime.
Ndukwe further stated that the Commissioner of Police, Mamman Giwa, has directed the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to ensure that all persons linked to the crime are arrested and prosecuted.
He reiterated the Command’s commitment to combating human trafficking, prostitution and other related crimes, urging members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to the police, adding that the suspect will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
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