Operatives
of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP)
have intercepted and rescued 10 persons who were being trafficked to Moscow,
Russia, the agency said in a statement Sunday.
They were
intercepted on Saturday night at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in
an operation code-named ‘Operation BLOCK’ while trying to board a Turkish
Airline flight to Russia using the 2018 World Cup as an avenue for travelling.
The rescued
victims comprise nine young girls and a boy.
Five of the
rescued persons are from Edo State, three are from Delta State, while the
remaining are from Imo and Benue states.
Eight of
them reside in Benin City while the other two reside in Warri and Osogbo
respectively.
It was from
these locations, NAPTIP SAID, that they were moved simultaneously on Friday to
Lagos for the journey to Russia. They all had the FIFA Fan ID.
NAPTIP said
five suspects, including Esan Matthew, a police sergeant, and Stephen Fayemiwo,
a quarantine officer, were also arrested as they were caught coordinating the
movement of the victims.
Three others
– Azeez Olowo, Idowu Fashakin and Eni Godwin – were also arrested for assisting
the victims.
Last week,
Julie Okah-Donli, the Director-General of NAPTIP, raised concerns that criminal
gangs were using the relaxed entry into Russia for the 2018 World Cup to
recruit Nigerian youth to Russia for exploitation.
She also
stated that operatives of the agency were working on some intelligence gathered
and were on the trail of the criminal gangs and their potential victims.
‘’These
traffickers have continued to mount pressure on some youths and their parents
forcing them to part with huge sums of money in exchange for a Russian visa’’,
Ms Okah-Donli had said.
According to
NAPTIP, the latest potential victims bean their movement to Lagos on Friday
from their various locations to meet their recruiters.
The agency
said its operatives had been monitoring the communications between the
suspected traffickers and their victims and followed them up until they were
stopped at the point of departure at the airport.
“Four of the
victims arrived Obalende, Lagos, at various times on Friday from Benin City,
Edo State to a place called Sura Market and kept in a room in a shanty at the
Sura area of Lagos.
“Operatives
who followed them kept vigil at that location until Saturday at about 3 p.m.
when the movement to the airport commenced.
“The gangs
used two Lagos yellow painted taxis. One taxi carried two potential victims
(PVoTs) with a young man later identified as Azeez Olowo sitting in the front
passenger’s seat while the second taxi also carried two PVoTs with a young man
later identified as Idowu Fashakin also sitting in the front passenger’s seat.”
Upon arrival
at the International Airport at about 5.25 p.m., the agency continued, the four
PVoTs alighted with their luggage and the two suspects that accompanied them.
The two
suspects, Messrs Fashakin and Olowo, started making phone calls while the four
PVoTs were standing by a corner outside the departure hall for over one and
half hours awaiting further directives, NAPTIP said.
Shortly
after, Mr Olowo met and held discussions with one man who was eventually identified
as Eni Godwin.
“Later on,
one Mathew Esan who was later identified as a police officer went to meet with
Eni Godwin who was standing a few meters away from the four PVoTs, and had a
chat with him for a while. Thereafter, Matthew Esan went to the girls and held
discussion with them and the situation was like that of a teacher addressing
his students.
“Not too
long after this meeting, one Stephen Fayemiwo who was later identified as a
Quarantine Personnel came to meet the girls where they were sitting outside the
departure hall, addressed them and handed to each of them their travel
documents including their International Passports, Russian 2010 FIFA ID Card
and Turkish Airline tickets.
“He
thereafter, led them into the departure hall and facilitated their check-in at
the Turkish airline counter where he was eventually arrested.
“His arrest
was simultaneously done with the other four persons who had NAPTIP operative
marking them closely. Stephen Fayemiwo (Quarantine Officer) was arrested beside
the Turkish Airline counter, Mathew Esan (Police officer) and Idowu Fashakin
were arrested beside the passage queue of Turkish Airline while Eni Godwin and
Azeez Olowo were arrested outside the departure hall by Gate D entrance.”
NAPTIP said
its operatives rescued five other PVoTs who were refused boarding by the
Airline because they had only one-way ticket to Russia. The male amongst the
PVOTs was stopped because his sponsor in Russia is linked to one of the five
female PVoTs rescued.
“They were
all taking to the office of the Aviation Security where they were documented
before they were taken to NAPTIP Lagos Command for further investigation. This
operation was supported by officials of the Aviation Security (AVSEC) ,
Department of State Service (DSS) and the Joint Border Task Force (JBTF) which
NAPTIP is a member.”
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