The Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, has intercepted a suspected human trafficker and rescued six female victims along the Seme–Badagry border axis in Lagos State.
This was in an operation carried out by its Lagos State Border Patrol Command, Seme, in collaboration with other security agencies.
The interception, resulted in the arrest of a 24-year-old woman identified as Miss Victor Jennifer, from Benue State.
She was apprehended while allegedly attempting to traffic six young Nigerian women, aged between 20 and 23 years, none of whom possessed valid travel documents.
According to the Nigeria Immigration Service, the operation was part of sustained efforts to curb irregular migration and transnational organised crime along Nigeria’s border corridors, particularly the volatile Seme axis, which has remained a major route for human trafficking activities.
Following the arrest, the suspect and the rescued victims were taken to the Nigeria Immigration Zonal Office, Zone ‘A’ Headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos, for preliminary investigation.
The Service said they have been transferred to the Nigeria Immigration Service Headquarters in Abuja, for further investigation and necessary action.
Speaking on the development, the Assistant Comptroller-General of Immigration and Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘A’, ACG Mohammed Adamu, reiterated the agency’s firm stance against human trafficking and related crimes.
ACG Adamu assured members of the public of the agency’s continued vigilance, noting that the Service would sustain its operational presence across Nigeria’s border corridors to prevent criminal networks from exploiting weak points.
The operation, according to the NIS, aligns with its ongoing reforms and renewed drive aimed at strengthening border security and combating human trafficking nationwide under the vision of the Comptroller General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, and the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
It stated that the reforms are focused on “enhanced border management, intelligence led operation and effective interagency collaboration,” as part of a broader strategy to modernise the Service and improve national security.
Reporting By MARY FATILE