The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abia State command has arrested a secondary school teacher and his accomplice over alleged trafficking in students.
The state NSCDC Commandant, Paul Igwebuike said in Umuahia that the school teacher, Ikechukwu (surname withheld) and his accomplice, Enyiazu were nabbed on Thursday for attempting to traffick two female students.
Parading the men, Igwebuike said, “We got actionable intelligence that one of the suspects, Ikechukwu (33), who is a Mathematics teacher attached to Christ Firm International School, Ubaha, Umunna Nsulu, in Isialangwa North LGA, Abia State, had concluded plans to traffick two underage girls (students of the above school) to Lagos State. I quickly mobilised my men, who trailed and later apprehended them at the Unique Life Hotel, Umuahia, and rescued the two victims.”
He said preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects planned moving the victims to Lagos immediately after their last exam paper on Wednesday.
Igwebuike further revealed that the teacher had previously trafficked other young school leavers through the help of Godswill and his sister, Cherish, who was said to be working in a manufacturing company in Ogun State.
The Abia NSCDC boss frowned at attempts by the syndicate to promote what he described as “modern-day slavery” and vowed to collaborate with relevant agencies of government to put them out of business.
Items recovered from the suspects included a white Nissan Primera (Toyota Previa) and travelling bags containing the personal effects of the girls.
The two students, said the suspects told them they were going to Lagos to work, a statement corroborated by the suspects.