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Suspected human trafficking syndicate busted in Abuja sting operation

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The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested two suspects in Abuja over alleged human trafficking.

The suspects are Awulonu Franklin and Joseph Ukaluo.

The agency’s director-general, Fatima Waziri-Azi, disclosed on Friday that officers of the agency busted the trafficking syndicate on June 9 at about 11:00 a.m.

She said the suspects are part of a syndicate that specialises in moving young female Nigerians between 16 to 26 to India for sexual exploitation and possible organ harvesting.

Ms Waziri-Azi said a sting operation was conducted after several days of undercover activity by operatives of the agency.

She said two female victims between 16 and 22 were rescued just as they were taken to the embassy.

The DG disclosed that the suspects forced the victims to swear an oath of allegiance in two shrines in Delta and Imo.

Ms Waziri-Azi stated that one of the victims also revealed how her very close friend, who had already been trafficked to India, was subjected to having sex with a minimum of 10 men daily.

She further said the agency was on the trail of the suspects’ accomplices in India.

The DG said that the two suspects, who claimed to be operating a mobile tour company at the time of their arrest, were found in possession of 28 passports.

She said some passports indicated that the victims were from Ghana, the Republic of Benin, Niger Republic and other countries.

Ms Waziri-Azi listed other materials found in the suspects’ possession as laptop, phones, which are under forensic examination, and other equipment related to the commission of the crime.

She disclosed that 10 letter-headed papers belonging to different companies were also recovered from the suspects.

The DG said the agency had placed the hotel where the victims were harboured on red alert as money was paid on behalf of the victims.

She said the agency had collaborated with many organisations and governments to launch a fresh angle to the fight against crime.

However, Mr Franklin, believed to be a prime suspect in the offence, denied involvement in trafficking, saying he only operates a travel and tour company through which he had assisted many people.

He said some passports recovered belonged to some of his clients travelling to study in some countries, including a University in India.

“My company is registered as ‘Endless travel and tour agent’, and I have been in this business since 2018,” he said.

Mr Ukaluo also said he knew Mr Franklin as a travel agent and nothing more than that, adding that they had both lived in the same neighbourhood for many years.

Daniel Atokolo, Director, Investigation and Monitoring Department, told journalists that an investigation is ongoing into the matter.

(NAN)

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Crime

Gunmen Abduct Pastor’s Wife, Church Member in Nasarawa

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Gunmen on Sunday night abducted Mrs. Patience Nasamu, wife of Pastor Samuel Nasamu of the Word of God Church, Agyaragu, and a female church member who was visiting the family, in Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

Pastor Nasamu, recounting the incident, said his wife, who is nursing a three-month-old baby, was taken alongside the visitor shortly after a church service.

“I had just stepped out to pray for a sick member when my wife called me. All I could hear was her praying; she couldn’t even explain what was happening. By the time I rushed back, both she and our visitor had been abducted, leaving our baby behind,” he said.

According to him, the attackers arrived at about 8:15 p.m., smashing windows and doors with a hammer in an attempt to gain entry. When that failed, they fired gunshots into the air, forcing his wife to open the door before whisking her and the church member away.

He added that no contact has been made by the kidnappers since the abduction, while police officers who visited the scene assured residents that investigations were ongoing.

A resident of Agyaragu, who spoke anonymously, described the spate of kidnappings in the area as “alarming,” and appealed to Governor Abdullahi Sule to take urgent action.

“We live in fear every day, knowing we could be kidnapped or killed if ransom is not paid. Farmers and residents are taken almost daily. Help us tell Governor A. A. Sule that Agyaragu is now at the mercy of kidnappers,” the resident lamented.

 

 

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“I Want a Rich Man, Not You”: Mother of Three Found Dead in Hotel After Tense Marital Rift

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The quiet of a family home was shattered this week when Paulina, a young mother of three, was found dead in a hotel room under mysterious circumstances—just hours after reportedly telling her husband that she wanted “a rich man, not you.”

According to family accounts, Paulina slipped out of her home late at night around 10 p.m., leaving her children behind. Her husband, returning home that evening, was unsettled to find the little ones hungry and unattended. He had no idea it would be the last night he would see his wife alive.

By morning, devastating news arrived: Paulina’s lifeless body had been discovered in a guest house.

Police say she had checked in alone, but the exact cause of her death remains unclear.

The tragedy has left neighbours in shock, struggling to reconcile the woman they knew—a mother devoted to her children—with the circumstances surrounding her passing.

Police authorities have begun investigations to determine what led to her death, even as her family and community grapple with unanswered questions.

For her husband and children, the painful reality is not just the loss of a wife and mother, but the haunting memory of her final words.

 

 

 

 

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Police Bust Child Trafficking Syndicate, Rescue 11 Victims in Lagos

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The Lagos State Police Command has uncovered a trans-border child trafficking syndicate, rescuing 11 victims and arresting four suspects allegedly involved in recruiting and transporting young Nigerians to Ghana for prostitution.

The Command said operatives from the Ilemba Hausa Division intercepted one Mustapha Abubakar on August 13, 2025, while he attempted to traffic a 15-year-old girl to Ghana. The case was later transferred to the Special Squad I, which launched a manhunt based on credible intelligence.

The operation led to the arrest of three other suspects: Charles Chima (54) in Amuwo Odofin, Emmanuel Nwaka (36) along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, and Princess John (21) at Ojota. Investigations revealed they belonged to a wider criminal network engaged in cross-border trafficking of young women.

Ten additional victims, aged between 21 and 29, were subsequently rescued and are receiving protective care and support, with arrangements being made to reunite them with their families.

The suspects are in police custody and cooperating with investigators to identify other members of the syndicate.

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Jimoh, commended the operatives for their swift response and reiterated the Command’s zero tolerance for human trafficking. He urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to security agencies.

 

 

 

 

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