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

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
Crime
Troops intensify operations against terrorists in North East, arrest logistics suppliers, recover weapons

Troops intensify operations against terrorists in North East, arrest logistics suppliers, recover weapons
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), in collaboration with air components and local security stakeholders, have intensified clearance operations in the North East to deny Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists freedom of movement and access to logistics.
Zagazola Makama report that the sustained onslaughts across Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States have led to the arrest of several logistics suppliers, recovery of weapons and explosive devices, and the neutralisation of insurgents in ambush operations.

In one of the recent breakthroughs, troops in conjunction with members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) arrested two suspected terrorist collaborators at the Biu main market on July 10.
The suspects Isah Abdullahi, 45, and Abdullahi Mohammed, 35, both from Liya village in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, were intercepted while attempting to collect suspected terrorist-bound supplies delivered from Kano to the Biu Motor Park.

Items recovered from them included a sack containing 13 pairs of military desert boots, 20 high-wattage 9-volt batteries, and five pairs of slippers, all labeled with Isah’s phone number as the recipient.
Similarly, on July 13, troops acting on intelligence and working with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), arrested a 65-year-old logistics courier, Shaibu Bulama, at the Damasak Motor Park in Mobbar LGA.
Bulama, a native of Alagarno village in Yunusari LGA of Yobe State, was found with a white Toyota pickup truck. The vehicle contained two bags of rice, two cartons of pesticide sprayers, five gallons of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), and other assorted items hidden under the seats.
Meanwhile, in a targeted ambush on the same day, OPHK troops, alongside CJTF and local hunters, intercepted insurgents crossing between Ngoshe and Agapalwa in Gwoza LGA. One terrorist was neutralised while others fled, abandoning a bicycle and other supplies.
As part of the post-Operation Sand Fury exploitation in Malam Fatori general area, troops on July 13 discovered a partially buried corpse believed to be that of a terrorist. They also recovered an AK-47 rifle, magazine, and rounds of ammunition near an infiltration route used by insurgents along the fringes of Lake Chad.

In another key development, troops provided armed escort to over 3,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) returning to their ancestral homes in Darel-Jamel from Bama on July 13. The military says the secure return of the IDPs is a critical aspect of stabilisation efforts supported by the Borno State Government.
Also, on July 14, troops conducting farm patrols near Banki in Bama LGA were alerted by a local farmer who discovered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) buried in his field. A joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team successfully detonated the IEDs, which included mortar and artillery bombs already primed for detonation.

The same day, another IED was uncovered by troops in Molai, along the Maiduguri–Damboa Road axis. The EOD team detonated the device and recovered pressure plates and batteries suspected to be used for future attacks.
Elsewhere, acting on credible human intelligence, troops laid ambush near a terrorist crossing route in Tinush, a remote settlement in Kalabalge LGA. During the engagement, troops recovered 3 AK-47 magazines, 6 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 2 rocket-propelled grenade bombs, 57 rounds of PKM belted links, and a locally fabricated pistol.
In a related development, 16 family members of terrorists — including four adult females and 12 children — surrendered to troops in the Bama axis. Preliminary investigations indicated they fled from the Bakura Jega enclave, seeking safety from intensified military pressure.
In furtherance of logistics strangulation operations, troops on July 14 stormed Kudzum in Michika LGA of Adamawa State. During the raid, they recovered three motorcycles, 105 jerricans of PMS, and a tricycle believed to be part of the insurgents’ smuggling network.
A military source Zagazola that the combination of offensive clearance, ambush, counter-IED actions, and coordinated strangulation of terrorist logistics across the North East forms part of OPHK’s renewed strategy to degrade insurgent capabilities.
“These recent operations underscore the commitment of the Armed Forces to maintaining pressure on the terrorists and limiting their movement, logistics resupply, and capacity to threaten civilian populations,” the source said.
The military has assured residents of its determination to sustain the tempo of operations in synergy with state governments, community vigilantes, and international partners.
Troops intensify operations against terrorists in North East, arrest logistics suppliers, recover weapons
Crime
One killed, two injured in cutlass attack in Niger community

One killed, two injured in cutlass attack in Niger community
By: Zagazola Makama
The Niger State Police Command says it has launched an investigation into a brutal attack in Gidan-Mallam village, Mokwa Local Government Area, which left one person dead and two others critically injured.
Police sources told Zagazola Makama, that the incident occurred in the early hours of July 15 when unidentified assailants armed with cutlasses and sticks attacked three men Mohammed Maidaji, Abubakar Mani, and Mudasiru Halide along the Bokani-Madaji road.
Police sources said the victims sustained severe injuries and were rushed to the General Hospital in Mokwa, where Halide, unfortunately, died while receiving treatment.
His remains have been deposited at the hospital mortuary for autopsy.
One killed, two injured in cutlass attack in Niger community
Crime
IPOB/ESN gunmen kill two in ambush on police team in Imo

IPOB/ESN gunmen kill two in ambush on police team in Imo
By: Zagazola Makama
Suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its militant wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN), on Thursday launched a deadly attack on a police team on investigative duty at a fuel station in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
Zagazola understands that the incident occurred at about 2:45 p.m. at Umueze Junction, O.C Paul Fuel Station, where the officers had accompanied a complainant to follow up on an investigation.
According to sources, two motorcycles carrying armed men stormed the fuel station and opened fire on a black Lexus RX 330 vehicle conveying the officers and the complainant.
The Divisional Crime Officer (DCO 1), DSP Ndubisi Achazie, narrowly escaped the ambush, but Inspector Okechukwu Ezema sustained gunshot injuries and was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri, where he was confirmed dead.
The complainant, died on the spot, and his body was deposited at Zander Mortuary, Mbaitoli.
The attackers also made away with the Lexus vehicle used by the victims, though no police firearm was reported missing.
A joint security operation involving the military, tactical police teams, local vigilantes, and hunters has been launched to track down the fleeing assailants.
The police have described the act as terrorism and reaffirmed their commitment to hunting down IPOB/ESN cells responsible for the attack.
End
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