The Nigeria Police Force has arrested two fugitives wanted by international authorities in Belgium and the United Arab Emirates for crimes including human trafficking and armed robbery.
Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the arrests in a statement released on Wednesday, revealing that both suspects were apprehended following coordinated intelligence efforts.
The first suspect, described as the ringleader of a transnational human trafficking syndicate, was declared wanted by Belgian authorities via an INTERPOL Red Notice issued on December 19, 2023.
He was arrested in Benin City, Edo State, after weeks of surveillance.
According to the police, the suspect masterminded the trafficking of young Nigerian women, including minors, to Italy and other parts of Europe for sexual exploitation.
The victims were subjected to voodoo rituals, psychological manipulation, and coerced into repaying fabricated debts ranging from £20,000 to £50,000.
His criminal network reportedly included handlers in Brussels and France who managed the victims and transferred earnings to him. The suspect was convicted in absentia by a Belgian court in 2021 for multiple charges of aggravated human trafficking and leading a criminal organisation before fleeing to Nigeria.
A search of his residence uncovered several incriminating items, including a photocopy of a passport allegedly intended for travel to Canada.
He is expected to be arraigned before the Federal High Court in Benin.
The second suspect was arrested by the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Abuja at a hideout in Nsukka, Enugu State.
He is wanted by UAE authorities for a range of serious crimes, including armed robbery, cultism, and drug trafficking.
Police investigations revealed that he continued to run criminal operations remotely from Nigeria.
He has been linked to a number of high-profile robberies in Dubai and Sharjah, including an armed robbery at a grocery store in the Dubai Mall.
According to the police, preparations are underway to arraign him in court.