Enugu State Police Command has uncovered a suspected transnational human trafficking network for prostitution, leading to the arrest of a 50-year-old woman, Ibekwe Nkiru, and the rescue of a 20-year-old female victim whose name has been withheld.
Police Public Relations Officer Daniel Ndukwe stated that the arrest and rescue were carried out on January 16, 2026, by operatives of the Igbo-Eze South Police Division, following swift action on credible intelligence.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim, a native of Abia State, was allegedly deceived into resigning from her job in Aba on the promise of a more lucrative employment opportunity in Senegal.
The promised job, however, turned out to be linked to prostitution.
Ndukwe added that the suspect, who operates from Amorji-Nike, Enugu, took the victim to a shrine in Alor-Agu Community, Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area, to swear an oath of allegiance ahead of the planned trafficking. This action was allegedly carried out under the instructions of other syndicate members who remain at large.
“Upon receiving the information at about 8:00 p.m., the Divisional Police Officer promptly led a team of operatives to the location, where the suspect was arrested and the victim rescued. The victim has since been debriefed and reunited with her family,” Ndukwe said. He added that investigations are ongoing to dismantle the trafficking syndicate and apprehend all other suspects connected to the crime.
The Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, directed the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to ensure that every person connected to the crime is arrested and brought to justice. He reiterated the Command’s unwavering commitment to combating human trafficking, prostitution, and related crimes, urging members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to the police.
Meanwhile, in a separate operation, a joint security team comprising the Enugu State Police Command, the Nigerian Army, Forest Guards, Neighbourhood Watch, and local vigilantes neutralised a kidnapping suspect and rescued a male victim during a security operation in Udenu Local Government Area.
The operation followed a report in the early hours of Thursday, January 29, 2026, that a male victim had been abducted by armed men in the Ezimo-Uno community. Upon receipt of the report, the Commissioner of Police ordered immediate mobilisation of security operatives to the area, who engaged the kidnappers in the Agu-Shere and Okpakereke forest areas, where the suspects opened fire.
“The operatives responded with mastery and precision, neutralising one of the suspects while others fled deeper into the forest bordering Benue State with varying degrees of gunshot injuries,” Ndukwe said. The victim was rescued unhurt. Items recovered from the operation included an AK-47 rifle loaded with twenty rounds of live ammunition, an extra magazine, two daggers, military camouflage uniforms, mobile phones, assorted food items, cooking equipment, and a freshly slaughtered chicken.
The manhunt for the fleeing suspects is ongoing. The Commissioner of Police assured the public that violent crime across Enugu State would be actively combated and urged residents, particularly health and medical service providers, to promptly report any person seen with gunshot injuries to the police or nearest security formation.
