Monday, August 3, 2026 -The Delta State Police Command has rescued a 25-year-old human trafficking victim and arrested a 26-year-old woman allegedly involved in trafficking young women to Côte d’Ivoire under the guise of offering them vocational training.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Police
Public Relations Officer of the command, SP Bright Edafe, that the suspect,
identified as Ese Betty Isiorho, was arrested by operatives of the Effurun Area
Command following a petition accusing her of deceiving the victim with the
promise of learning hairdressing in Côte d’Ivoire.
The statement said investigations revealed that upon
arriving in the foreign country, the victim was allegedly forced into
prostitution.
According to the police, the suspect confessed during
interrogation to trafficking the rescued victim and another woman, also in her
twenties, to Côte d’Ivoire, where they were allegedly handed over to a woman
identified only as Madam Purity for prostitution.
The police added that following sustained investigative
efforts and collaboration, the 25-year-old victim was successfully rescued and
returned to Nigeria.
The statement noted that the victim had since been reunited
with her family and was receiving medical attention, while efforts were ongoing
to secure the return of the second victim, who is believed to still be in Côte
d’Ivoire, and apprehend other members of the trafficking syndicate.
Speaking on the development, the Commissioner of Police,
Delta State Command, Yemi Oyeniyi, commended the officers involved in the
operation and reaffirmed the command’s resolve to combat human trafficking and
other forms of organised crime.
“The command remains committed to combating human
trafficking and other forms of organised crime. We will continue to intensify
efforts to dismantle trafficking syndicates and ensure that those involved are
brought to justice,” Oyeniyi said.
The commissioner urged members of the public to remain
vigilant and promptly report suspicious recruitment schemes and
trafficking-related activities to the police.
The development comes days after the Delta State Government,
the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and
development partners renewed efforts to combat human trafficking in the state.
The event was used to mark the 2026 World Day Against
Trafficking in Persons; stakeholders warned that traffickers were increasingly
exploiting fake job offers, vocational training schemes and other deceptive
opportunities to lure vulnerable young people into exploitation, and called for
stronger collaboration to tackle the menace.
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