Suspects (left) and victims
Abia State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested a teacher, Ikechukwu Uduma and his accomplice, Enyiazu Godswill, for human trafficking.
Uduma, 33, a Mathematics teacher at Christ Fame International School, Ubaha Nsulu, in Isiala Ngwa North Local Council of the state and Godswill were arrested for trafficking two female secondary school leavers to Lagos for alleged employment.
Abia State Commandant of NSCDC, Paul Igwebuike, told newsmen, at his Command headquarters in Umuahia, that operatives arrested the suspects at a hotel in the state capital, following credible intelligence.
The victims, Blessing Omini, 16, and Nmesomachi Goodluck, 17, recently completed their West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE).
The Commandant extolled the professionalism the operatives exhibited, which enabled the successful coordination of their arrest.
He said: “The suspects have been under our surveillance due to their suspicious activities.
“When we got an actionable intelligence, which revealed that one of the suspects, Ikechukwu Uduma had concluded plans to traffic two under-aged girls (students of this school) to Lagos State.
“I quickly mobilised my men who trailed them and later apprehended them at Unique Life Hotel, Umuahia, and rescued the two victims.”
The Commandant assured that upon completion of the ongoing investigation, the suspects would be handed over to National Agency For Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for necessary action and prosecution.
He said preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects planned moving their victims to Lagos State after their last paper on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 in the just concluded 2023 WASCE.
“It was revealed that Uduma, the Mathematics teacher had previously trafficked many unsuspecting young school leavers through the help of one Enyiazu Godswill and one Cherish (Ikechukwu’s Sister), said to be working in a manufacturing company in Ogun State, where the girls make their stopover.”
He listed the items recovered from the suspects to include: a white coloured Toyota Previa with Registration Number MUS 226 HK and travelling bags, containing personal effects of the rescued victims.
But one of the suspects, Uduma said he was trying to help the girls get a place to work after leaving school. “When they told me that they needed this help, I contacted my sister to help them and after making inquiries, she told me to tell them to come. It was when they were about to move that the NSCDC intercepted and rescued them.”
One of the rescued victims said she got to know about the employment opportunity or vacancy when it was announced in the school, adding that she told her parents about it.
Meanwhile, the Commandant has congratulated and decorated over 50 operatives of his Command who were recently promoted to various higher positions in the service.
He urged them to justify the privilege by exhibiting more diligence in their service to the nation through the NSCDC, adding that promotions in the Corps Service are based on performance, quota and vacancy availability.