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NIDCOM Gets 17 Trafficked Girls Rescued, 5 Traffickers Arrested in Ghana

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NIDCOM Gets 17 Trafficked Girls Rescued, 5 Traffickers Arrested in Ghana

By: Michael Mike

Seventeen young Nigerian girls trafficked to Ghana have been rescued and repatriated back to the country while five traffickers were equally arrested.

This latest rescue operation brought to 130 girls repatriated back to Nigeria from Ghana alone since July 2024.

According to a statement signed on Sunday by the Director, Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM). Abdur-Rahman Balogun, this was sequel to the combined and coordinated efforts of the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Police, Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Ghana, and the Nigerian High Commission in Accra.

Speaking on this latest efforts, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO NiDCOM, expressed her gratitude to Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu for her support in facilitating the safe return of the young girls back to the country.

She also commended the vital roles played by the BOT Chairman of NIDO Ghana, Chief Callistus Elozieuwa,, and the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Police Unit in bringing the traffickers to justice.

She reiterated NiDCOM’s commitment to protecting Nigerians in the diaspora under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which gave priority to combating human trafficking and safeguarding the rights of Nigerian citizens at home and in the Diaspora.

Balogun, in the statement, stated that the rescued young girls, ages 18 to 29 years, come from various states, including Anambra, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Imo, Edo, and Ebonyi.

He said they were lured to Ghana under false promises of employment but were instead forced into exploitative situations and bound by an oath of secrecy.

Dabiri-Erewa expressed her determination to the rescue of those still trafficked in conjuction with various stakeholders, noting that many more trafficked Nigerians are still awaiting rescue.

Director of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service, Mr. Williams Ayaregah praised NiDCOM’s efforts under Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa’s leadership.

He said: “More than ever, traffickers must realise that Ghana is no longer a safe haven.”

The operation, conducted in Kpone Katamanso, Tema, resulted in one of the largest single- operation arrests, with five traffickers apprehended.

Mr. Akinboye Akinsola, representing NiDCOM, played a critical role in escorting the rescued women back to Nigeria, where they were handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for rehabilitation and reintegration.

Chief Callistus Elozieuwa added that two young men were also repatriated, including one who was previously detained in Ghanaian prison.

With NIDO Ghana’s assistance, the young man underwent rehabilitation and has now returned to his home state, Anambra, for family reintegration.

This cross-national effort underscores NiDCOM’s dedication to eradicating human trafficking and highlights the importance of international collaboration to protect Nigerians abroad.

NIDCOM Gets 17 Trafficked Girls Rescued, 5 Traffickers Arrested in Ghana

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Police officer arrested over alleged Cybercrime, Fraud in Ogun

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Police officer arrested over alleged Cybercrime, Fraud in Ogun

By: Zagazola Makama

The Nigerian Police Force in Ogun has arrested one of its officers, Police Constable Idris Oloyede, over alleged involvement in conspiracy, stealing, cybercrime and other related offences.

Zagazola was reliably informed that the arrest was carried out on Wednesday by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, Abeokuta.

A police sources told Zagazola that Oloyede, who bears Force Number 537972, is attached to the patrol team at Odeda Divisional Headquarters.

According to the police sources, the arrest followed credible intelligence and investigation that linked the officer to the suspected crimes.

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Odeda Division immediately released the officer for further interrogation upon the arrival of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit. The suspect has been transferred to the SCID for detailed investigation.

Police officer arrested over alleged Cybercrime, Fraud in Ogun

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Army eliminate 6 Bandits as Forest Sanity III’ pushes deeper into Sokoto forests

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Army eliminate 6 Bandits as Forest Sanity III’ pushes deeper into Sokoto forests

By: Zagazola Makama

As the troops of Operation FANSAN YABMA have continued their aggressive operations in the thick undergrowth of Gandumi Forest, North of Goronyo, the stillness of a late-morning haze was shattered on Thursday as soldiers from the 8 Division Gar Strike Team swept through a cluster of makeshift huts and weapons pits.

It was the latest push under Operation Forest Sanity III, a rolling clearance campaign designed to uproot terrorist and bandit enclaves that have long exploited Sokoto’s sprawling woodlands as a sanctuary.

Between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., the troops struck two separate hideouts: one in Gandumi Forest, Goronyo Local Government Area, and another in Indulumu village, Maradun LGA. Military sources told Zagazola Makama that six armed militants were neutralised in the combined raids.

Two AK-47 rifles, three motor-cycles, camouflage fatigues, assorted drugs and maintenance kits were recovered, while the camps themselves were levelled and set ablaze to prevent re-occupation.

“Every foot of ground we seize in these forests denies criminals a staging area,” a senior officer on the mission explained. “The goal is to keep them constantly off balance so they cannot regroup or threaten nearby communities.”

Barely an hour later and 70 kilometres away, a separate drama unfolded in Isa Local Government Area. Dozens of bandits riding motorcycles rolled toward Gamaroji, a dusty farming community often hit by rustling raids, only to meet an ambush laid by crack operatives on special assignment.

Acting on what authorities described as “specific, time-sensitive intelligence,” the team intercepted the convoy at about 11 a.m. A fierce exchange of fire ensued; one gunman was killed, the rest fled, abandoning two Honda motorcycles, an empty AK magazine and two assault rifles bearing.

Local residents told Zagazola Makama that the rapid response averted what could have been a mass abduction or livestock theft.

“We heard gunshots outside the village and thought they had come for us again,” said farmer Bawa Yusuf. “When it fell silent, we saw security men bringing out seized rifles. People are breathing easier tonight.”

Sokoto’s Eastern corridor from Goronyo down through Isa into Zamfara’s Maradun axis forms a critical transit route for armed gangs shuttling cattle, weapons and abductees between forest camps and black market buyers.

Operation Forest Sanity III, launched in March as the newest phase of the multi agency offensive, focuses on these corridors. Its mix of deliberate daytime assaults and intelligence driven night manoeuvres has already yielded a string of weapons recoveries and hostage rescues.

A defence Intelligence said the aim is two-fold: “Deny the bad actors depth and logistics, while reassuring civilians that the state is reclaiming every contested space.”

For villages like Gamaroji and Indulumu, each successful raid offers a brief respite. Yet many residents remain cautious, mindful that retreating fighters often strike back at soft targets.

A District head who chose to be anonymous for the fear of being targeted urged continued vigilance. “We thank the security forces for today’s success,” he told Zagazola. “But we still need sustained patrols and quick response lines because the criminals melt into other forests.”

Military commanders say the campaign will persist “until all camps are dismantled and freedom of movement is restored.

Zagazola Makama is a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad Region
End

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Gunmen kill one, injure two, abduct one on Anka–Mayanchi road in Zamfara

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Gunmen kill one, injure two, abduct one on Anka–Mayanchi road in Zamfara

By: Zagazola Makama

Armed assailants on Wednesday attacked travellers along the Anka–Mayanchi road in Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State, killing one person, injuring two others, and abducting one victim.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred between Bobo and Yashar Rogo villages when the attackers intercepted two golf vehicles conveying passengers.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers opened fire on the vehicles, killing one on the spot and injuring two others, while another passenger was taken away.

Residents and local security volunteers responded by evacuating the injured to a nearby hospital for treatment and took the remains of the deceased for burial.

Search operations and efforts to rescue the abducted victim were said to be ongoing as of the time of filing this report.

The road, which connects Anka and Mayanchi, has in recent months witnessed repeated attacks blamed on bandits operating from forest enclaves in the area.

Gunmen kill one, injure two, abduct one on Anka–Mayanchi road in Zamfara

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