From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP), on Friday, paraded two suspects for alleged human trafficking.

Director General of NAPTIP, Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi, at a press conference, in Abuja, on Friday, stated that the suspects, Waukomis Chidebere Chukwu and Joseph Okoi Nka, were arrested earlier in the month in the cause of the operations of the Agency officials.

She said: “On the 9th of June, 2023, at about 11: 00hrs, the Agency busted a human trafficking syndicate that specializes in moving young female Nigerians between the ages of 16-26 to India for sexual exploitation and possible organ harvesting. The sting operation was conducted after several days of undercover activity by operatives of the Agency.”

She further stated that two female victims of the traffickers of ages 16 and 22, were rescued a few minutes before being taken to the Embassy. The two victims narrated pathetic stories of how they were lured by the syndicates who forced them to swear an oath of allegiance in two shrines located within Delta and Imo states, respectively.

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She said that one of the victims revealed that her very close friend who was already trafficked to India was being subjected to having sex with minimum of 10 men a day, a situation that was giving her sleepless nights before being rescued by the operatives of NAPTIP.

Prof. Waziri-Azi stated that while the Agency is on the trail of the Madam in India, the two suspects, Waukomis Chidebere Chukwu and Joseph Okoi Nka, who operate a mobile tour company at the time of arrest were in possession of 28 passports of different nationalities ranging from Ghana, Republic of Benin, Niger Republic etc.

“Other materials under forensic examination are laptops, phones as well as other equipment relating to the commission of the crime. A total of 10 letterheads with different companies were also recovered from the suspects,” she said.

She confirmed that NAPTIP has also placed the hotel that harbored the victims on “red alert” as monies were remotely being paid on behalf of the victims, adding that more updates would be collected from the forensic examination that will help in the investigation and prosecution of the suspects.