Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

News

World Cup: NAPTIP Intercept 10 Nigerian Youths Being Trafficked to Russia

Operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have intercepted and rescued 10 Nigerian youths who were being trafficked to Russia ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

It also arrested a policeman, Esan Matthew, a quarantine officer, Stephen Fayemiwo, and three other accomplices – Azeez Olowo, Idowu Fashakin and Eni Godwin.

The rescued victims comprise of nine girls and a boy. Five are from Edo State, three from Delta State, one each from Imo and Benue States. Eight of them reside in Benin, while one each reside in Warri and Osogbo.

A statement by NAPTIP spokesman Vincent Adekoya indicated that the breakthrough was made at Lagos Airport, in an operation code named ‘Operation Block’ while they tried to board a Turkish Airline flight to Russia.

He disclosed that the victims converged in Lagos on Friday from their various locations to meet their recruiters with NAPTIP operatives having followed their communications until they were stopped at the point of departure.

NAPTIP Director-General Julie Okah-Donli had penultimate week raised alarm that some fake travel agencies and football supporters’ club intend to traffic Nigerians to Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

She said the traffickers had arranged with their cohorts in Europe to facilitate the disappearance of “successful” victims out of Moscow to other destination.

Okah-Donli appealed to security agencies to collaborate with the agency in making the 2018 World Cup a traffic-free event.

She also reminded them of the federal government directive that all group delegates to the World Cup must get clearance certificates from NAPTIP before they can be allowed to travel.

 

___

Follow us on Twitter at @thesignalng

Copyright 2018 SIGNAL. Permission to use portions of this article is granted provided appropriate credits are given to www.signalng.com and other relevant sources.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Related

World

Russia has accused Ukrainian forces of shooting down a military transport plane, killing all 74 people aboard, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war being...

News

President Vladimir Putin of Russia says his country is prepared to deepen bilateral ties with countries pursuing their national interests against the West. He...

Africa

President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa stated in court documents made public on Tuesday that detaining Vladimir Putin would be equivalent to declaring war...

News

Moscow confirmed Thursday it had exchanged US basketball star Brittney Griner, who had been jailed in Russia, for notorious arms trafficker Viktor Bout, who...

Copyright ©