Police rescue 20 trafficked Ghanaians in Akwa Ibom

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command says it has rescued 20 Ghanians that were trafficked to the state capital,Uyo.

The Commissioner of Police,Baba Mohammed Azare, disclosed this while addressing newsmen at the command’s headquarters,Ikot Akpan Abia, Uyo,on Wednesday.

Azare said the the human trafficking victims were rescued from a compound in Obio Etoi village, Uyo Local Government Area, after an operation that was a collaborative effort following a formal request for assistance from the Ghana Police Service and the INTERPOL.

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“On August 18, 2025, Operatives of the Command successfully rescued 20 Ghanians trafficked to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.The human trafficking victims were rescued from a compound in Obio Etoi village, Uyo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State after an operation that was a collaborative effort following a formal request for assistance from the Ghana Police Service and INTERPOL.

“Acting on credible information, Operatives, surrounded a well-fenced building at approximately 1617 hours on Monday, August 18, 2025. The raid led to the rescue of 10 males and 10 females (names withheld), all confirmed to be Ghanaian nationals.

“The victims presently appear disoriented and have been unable to provide useful information, leading investigators to suspect they may have been hypnotized,” he said.

The police commissioner also announced the arrest of a 47-year-old notorious human trafficker, Alex Omosivie, from Edo State.

“On Tuesday, August 26, 2025, at approximately 9:30 AM, Operatives of the Command arrested a notorious human trafficker, Alex Omosivie, a 47-year-old male from Edo State,” he said.

According to him,the arrest followed a reliable intelligence report that Mr. Omosivie frequently came to Uyo to traffic young women to various African countries for prostitution and other illicit activities.

“Acting on credible information, a surveillance team located and apprehended the suspect at a hotel on Ring Road 3, Uyo (name withheld).During the arrest, police rescued two victims (name withheld),”he said.

Azare said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect, a deportee from an African country, had recently trafficked two other young women namey Odo Asuquo Asuquo, 18, to Libya in July 2025, and Glory Asuquo Asuquo, 16, to Burkina Faso on August 18, 2025.

He said the suspects had confessed to the crime and admitted that he was paid ₦50,000 per victim.

The police commissioner added that parents of the victims had been contacted to provide statements on the matter.