Nigeria Police arrest three suspects in international human trafficking operation

The Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Department Special Tactical Squad has arrested three suspected international human traffickers and rescued a 21-year-old Nigerian woman from Mali. The operation, conducted between October 1 and 27, 2026, followed intelligence-led investigations into a trafficking network.

The suspects, identified as Daniel Aondofa, 25, Thankgod Ocho, 25, and Orgba Solomon, 28, are all indigenes of Benue State. Solomon is identified as the alleged gang leader. Investigators report that the victim, a native of Nasarawa State, was allegedly lured with promises of lucrative employment abroad before being moved through Lagos and illegal border routes into the Republic of Benin, and eventually to Mali.

In Mali, the victim was reportedly sold for approximately 420,000 CFA francs, equivalent to about N770,000. She alleged that she was subjected to physical assault and coerced into prostitution after refusing to comply. Police also disclosed that approximately 42 Nigerian women were being held in a makeshift camp within a remote gold-mining settlement in Mali, where they were allegedly subjected to forced prostitution and slave-like conditions.