Police arrest suspected human trafficker for allegedly smuggling girls to Libya

In a significant crackdown on human trafficking, the Cross River State Police Command has apprehended a 35-year-old suspect, Victor Eyop, for allegedly trafficking young girls from Nigeria to Libya.

The arrest was confirmed by the State Commissioner of Police, CP Gyogon Grimah, during a press briefing held on Monday, December 23, in Calabar.

Grimah provided details of the case, shedding light on the coordinated efforts that led to the suspect’s detention.

According to the commissioner, the investigation began on November 9 when Chidi Samuel, a resident of Calabar, filed a complaint with the police. Samuel alleged that Victor Eyop, along with his wife, Esther Eyop, was involved in recruiting young women for trafficking. He specifically accused the duo of recruiting a 25-year-old woman, Deborah Nyong, as part of their illicit operations.

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“They also recruited two others, Ms Anita Lawrence, 25, and Ms Mabel Tom, 16, for human trafficking to Libya after they were tested for the Human Immune Virus (HIV) and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STIs).

After the test, the suspect took them to his house, and the next day gave them a substance they were to mix in their bath water for cleansing before embarking on the journey.

On Nov. 12, the suspect and his wife drove the girls to Bogobiri Street in Calabar, where they booked tickets and transported them to Kaduna with arrangements with one Hajiya (names unknown) to receive the girls in Kaduna” he said.

The commissioner noted that while in Kaduna, a taxi driver was sent to pick up the girls and further transported them to Katsina. However, along the road to Katsina, the vehicle developed a fault.

Grimah said it was at this point that the victims realised that they were being trafficked, started contacting people for help, and the complainant, Samuel, sent money to them through a point-of-sale (POS) operator along the road. He said, with that money, they boarded a taxi back to Kaduna and found their way back to Calabar on Nov. 15.

When interrogated, the suspect claimed that he did not know that what he did was an offence, noting that he was only assisting people to travel out.

“I am not a travel agent, but my sister is in Libya; it is through her that the girls are being taken to Libya. The girls were aware of the plan from inception that they would be taken to Katsina and from there ‘Hajiya’ would direct them on how to get to Libya,” he narrated.