The acting Comptroller General (ACG) of Immigration, Isah Jere Idris yesterday announced the interception of 189 Boys and Girls suspected to be victims of human trafficking by the Lagos Border Patrol Command at Seme.
Speaking with journalists at the Zone ‘A’ Headquarters of the Service in Lagos, the acting Comptroller General said that the youths made up of 115 Girls and 74 Boys aged between 15 to 20 years were intercepted in batches on their way out of the country through the Seme Border Area.
However, Ninety-two of them were intercepted on 22nd January 2022 while another 97 were picked up by our vigilant operatives on 24th January 2022.
According to the ACG who explained that the victims said they were on their way to Emerald University in Benin Republic to commence degree programmes. However, stated that a faith-based organization operating in Imo and Abia States offered them provisional admissions into the school.
“The victims who are from States such as Abia, Kogi, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Lagos and Imo among others could neither present any admission letters nor evidence of payment of school fees for their studies. Moreover, only three of them hold valid travel documents.”
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Meanwhile, investigation revealed that two persons namely Sunday Emmanuel Chinasa and Ms. Rose Onum Uduma who were also arrested along with the victims coordinated the trip. The duo claimed to be students of ISCG University in Benin Republic and had been mandated to facilitate the movement of the youths to Benin Republic. Each of the victims claimed to have paid the sum of Fifty Thousand Naira Only (N50, 000:00) for the process.”
Furthermore, Acting Comptroller General urged the general public to beware of fraudsters who come up in diverse styles and antics to deceive unsuspecting people into accepting all manner of offers abroad.
He maintained that the Service under his watch will continue to ensure enhanced border security and migration management to discourage all forms of irregular migration.
ACG Idris further called on the public to continue to offer useful pieces of information to the Service for a more robust fight against cross-border crimes.
Earlier at a separate interviews with three from the 189 intercepted, Ubani Chinecherem, Harrison Eberechi and Miracle Matthew said the coordinator for their trips is a Pastor of one Afternoon church in Abia state popularly known as Pastor Tonik who had established a University at Benin and had offered them scholarship at the Emerald University in Benin Republic.
The three minors stressed that they were given an identification cards promising that they would give them their admission letters and scholarship requirements when they arrive Benin Republic where the school is said to be located.
The 189 victims have been handed over to the officials of the Lagos Zonal Office of NAPTIP for further necessary processes.
