A 25-year-old victim of human trafficking was saved by the Delta State Police Command, and a 26-year-old lady who was reportedly involved in trafficking young women to Côte d’Ivoire on the pretense of providing them with vocational training was taken into custody.
According to a statement released on Sunday by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, it was learnt that the suspect, identified as Ese Betty Isiorho, was taken into custody by Effurun Area Command personnel in response to a petition alleging that she had deceived the victim by promising to learn hairdressing in Côte d’Ivoire.
According to the statement, investigations showed that the victim was allegedly coerced into prostitution after arriving in the foreign nation.
During questioning, the suspect allegedly admitted to trafficking the rescued victim and another woman in her twenties to Côte d’Ivoire, where they were allegedly given to a lady known only as Madam Purity for prostitution, according to the police.
The 25-year-old victim was successfully rescued and returned to Nigeria, the police said, after persistent investigative efforts and cooperation.
The statement stated that while attempts were being made to secure the return of the second victim, who is thought to still be in Côte d’Ivoire, and to capture other members of the trafficking organization, the victim had since been reunited with her family and was receiving medical attention.
Speaking about the development, Yemi Oyeniyi, the Commissioner of Police for Delta State Command, praised the officers engaged in the operation and reiterated the command’s commitment to fighting organized crime and human trafficking.
“The command is still dedicated to fighting organized crime, including human trafficking. We’ll keep stepping up our efforts to dismantle trafficking organizations and make sure those responsible are held accountable,” Oyeniyi stated.
The commissioner advised the public to be on the lookout for suspicious recruitment schemes and trafficking-related activities and to report them to the police right once.
The announcement was made a few days after the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, the Delta State Government, and development partners stepped up their efforts to stop human trafficking in the state.
In honor of the 2026 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, stakeholders called for greater cooperation to combat the threat and warned that traffickers were increasingly using fictitious job offers, vocational training programs, and other misleading opportunities to entice vulnerable young people into exploitation.
