About 189 people about to be trafficked have been intercepted at the Lagos-Seme border.
This was disclosed by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Amos Okpu, in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.
The acting Comptroller General of Immigration, Isah Jere Idris said the victims were intercepted by the Lagos Border Patrol Command at Seme.
Idris said the youths made up of 115 girls and 74 boys, aged between 15 and 20 years, were intercepted in batches on their way out of the country.
The statement said, “Ninety-two of them were intercepted on January 22, 2022 while another 97 were picked up by our vigilant operatives on January 24, 2022,” Idris said.
The victims reportedly told the acting CG that they were on their way to Emerald University in Benin Republic to commence degree programmes, adding that a faith-based organization operating in Imo and Abia States offered them provisional admissions into the school.
The victims who are from Abia, Kogi, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Lagos and Imo among others could neither present any admission letters nor evidence of payment of school fees for their studies, the statement revealed, adding that only three of them hold valid travel documents.
Investigation revealed that two persons namely Sunday Emmanuel Chinasa and Ms. Rose Onum Uduma, who were also arrested along with the victims coordinated the trip.
The duo claimed to be students of ISCG University in Benin Republic and had been mandated to facilitate the movement of the youths to Benin Republic. Each of the victims claimed to have paid N50, 000 for the process.
Mr Idris urged the general public to beware of fraudsters who come up in diverse styles and antics to deceive unsuspecting people into accepting all manner of offers abroad.
The 189 victims have been handed over to the officials of the Lagos Zonal Office of NAPTIP for further necessary processes.
