"Preliminary investigations indicate that a (trafficking) victim who is 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," the police said.
The police in Enugu State, Nigeria's South-east, have said they uncovered a suspected syndicate involved in transnational trafficking of women for prostitution and sexual exploitation.
The police spokesperson in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
Mr Ndukwe, a superintendent of police, said operatives from Igbo-Eze South Divisional Police Headquarters uncovered the syndicate and arrested a 50-year-old suspected female human trafficker, Ibekwe Nkiru.
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He said a 20-year-old female victim (name withheld) was rescued during the operation conducted on 16 January.
The police spokesperson explained that the operation followed a tip-off about their human trafficking activities.
"Preliminary investigations indicate 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," he said.
Mr Ndukwe said, at about 7 p.m. of the same day, the suspect, who operated from Amorji-Nike in Enugu, allegedly took the victim to a shrine in Alor-Agu Community, Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area of the state.
The police spokesperson said, based on the instruction of other members of the syndicate still on the run, the suspect asked the victim to swear an oath of allegiance ahead of the planned trafficking to Senegal.
"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, while investigations are ongoing to dismantle the trafficking syndicate and arrest other suspects connected to the crime," the police said.
Mr Ndukwe said the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Bitrus Giwa, has directed the State Criminal Investigation Department to ensure arrest and prosecution of all persons linked to the crime.
Mr Giwa reiterated the unwavering commitment of the police in the state to combating human trafficking, prostitution, and other related crimes.
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The police chief urged the Nigerians to continue to provide "timely and credible information" to the security operatives to assist in the fight against crime.
Prohibited in Nigeria
Nigeria in 2015 enacted the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act which outlawed all acts of human trafficking in the country.
The Act prescribes imprisonment of not less than five years or a fine of not less than N1 million or both as general punishment for human trafficking.
Several persons have been convicted of human trafficking across the country.
In June 2025, a Federal High Court in Asaba, Delta State, sentenced a woman, Christiana Uadiale, to 12 years' imprisonment with an option of N14 million fine for human trafficking.
Earlier in 2018, the Federal High Court in Benin, Edo State, sentenced 49-year-old Ehie Ehirobo to three years imprisonment for human trafficking.
