Abuja Mansion Raided as NAPTIP Arrests Alleged Human Trafficking Kingpins Linked to Côte d’Ivoire Ring
In a bold raid that shook a quiet Abuja neighborhood, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested two suspected masterminds of a cross-border human trafficking ring operating between Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire.
The suspects, 32-year-old Emmanuel Uzor Igwe and 30-year-old Ugochukwu Christian, were caught at their lavish mansion in Lugbe — a home that doubled as the syndicate’s command center.
According to NAPTIP, the breakthrough came after a viral video posted by controversial human rights activist and influencer VeryDarkMan (VDM) spotlighted the suffering of young Nigerian women stranded in Côte d’Ivoire. The victims named their traffickers during a call with VDM, prompting him to take their case directly to NAPTIP headquarters in Abuja.
Acting on the tip, NAPTIP operatives moved swiftly, arresting the suspects and rescuing two young women believed to be victims of the trafficking ring.
One of the survivors, still shaken by her ordeal, shared how she was lured from eastern Nigeria with promises of a high-paying retail job abroad. Instead, she was taken to a shrine near Abuja to swear a secrecy oath before being trafficked out of the country.
“They said I’d work in a mall and earn good money,” she recalled. “But before we even left Nigeria, they took us to a shrine outside Abuja and forced us to swear an oath. I still don’t know where it was — we traveled for three hours from Gwagwalada.”
She added that the traffickers demanded 2.2 million CFA francs (about ₦3.3 million) as a “debt” for the opportunity.
NAPTIP’s Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, confirmed the suspects are part of a wider trans-border trafficking gang and pledged full prosecution if found guilty.
“This arrest is just the beginning,” Bello stated. “We’re going after every human trafficking network operating in and out of Nigeria. The game is over for them. I also want to thank VDM for his bold advocacy and support.”
She also revealed that the agency is working closely with authorities in Côte d’Ivoire to rescue other Nigerian victims still trapped abroad.
The investigation continues as NAPTIP intensifies its crackdown on modern-day slavery in West Africa.
