By Christopher Oji  and Steve Agbota

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), yesterday, said it intercepted 198 boys and girls suspected to be  victims of human trafficking in Lagos.

The acting Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mr Isah Jere Idris, who announced this in a statement by NIS Public Relations Officer, ACI Amos Okpu, said the suspected victims were intercepted by NIS  Lagos Border Patrol Command at Seme.

Speaking at the Zone ‘A’ headquarters of the Service in Lagos, the acting CG said the youths, made up of 115 girls and 74 boys between the ages of 15 and 20, were intercepted in batches on their way out of the country through the Seme border area.

According to him, 92 of them were intercepted on January 22, while another 97, were picked  by NIS’s vigilant operatives on January 24.

The victims while speaking with the acting CG,  said  they were on their way to Emerald University in Benin Republic, to commence Degree programmes. 

They stated that a faith-based organisation operating in Imo and Abia States offered them provisional admissions into the school.

“The victims who are from states like: Abia, Kogi, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Lagos, and Imo among others could neither present any admission letters nor evidence of payment of school fees for their studies. Moreover, only three of them hold valid travel documents.

“Investigation revealed that two persons, Sunday Emmanuel Chinasa and Ms. Rose Onum Uduma, who were also arrested along with the victims coordinated the trip,”

He revealed that the duo claimed to be students of ISCG University in Benin Republic and had been mandated to facilitate the movement of the youths to Benin Republic while each of the victims claimed to have paidN50, 000 for the process.

The Immigration boss, said, “I use this medium to call on the general public to beware of fraudsters who come up in diverse styles and antics to deceive unsuspecting people into accepting all manner of offers abroad.”

He maintained that the Service under his watch would  continue to ensure enhanced border security and migration management to discourage all forms of irregular migration.

He further called on the public to continue to offer useful pieces of information to the Service for a more robust fight against cross-border crimes.

He hinted that the 189 victims have been handed over to the officials of the Lagos Zonal Office of NAPTIP for further necessary processes.