The Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, has arrested a suspected human trafficker and rescued six young women during a border operation along the Seme-Badagry corridor in Lagos State.
The operation was carried out by the Lagos State Border Patrol Command, Seme, in collaboration with other security agencies as part of ongoing efforts to combat irregular migration and transnational crime along the border axis.
The suspect, identified as 24-year-old Victor Jennifer from Benue State, was apprehended on Wednesday, February 4, while allegedly attempting to move six Nigerian women aged between 20 and 23 years across the border without valid travel documents.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the NIS on Tuesday.
According to the Service, the Seme corridor has remained a major route for human trafficking and other cross-border criminal activities, necessitating sustained surveillance and intelligence-led operations.
Following the arrest, both the suspect and the rescued victims were taken to the NIS Zonal Office, Zone ‘A’ Headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos, for preliminary investigation.
They were later transferred to the NIS Headquarters in Abuja on February 6 for further investigation and necessary action.
The NIS confirmed that the suspect would be prosecuted in line with extant laws to serve as a deterrent to others involved in similar crimes.
Speaking on the operation, the Assistant Comptroller-General of Immigration and Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘A’, Mohammed Adamu, reiterated the agency’s zero-tolerance stance on human trafficking and irregular migration.
“The Nigeria Immigration Service maintains zero tolerance for irregular migration, human trafficking, and all forms of transnational organised crimes.
“We remain resolute in safeguarding Nigeria’s borders and protecting vulnerable persons from exploitation,” he said.
He also assured the public of the Service’s continued vigilance across Nigeria’s border corridors, noting that strengthened interagency collaboration remains key to tackling cross-border crimes.
The NIS stated that the successful operation aligns with ongoing reforms and renewed strategies under the leadership of the Comptroller General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, aimed at enhancing border management, intelligence-led operations, and national security.
Immigration arrests suspected trafficker, rescues six women at Seme border
