The Delta State Police Command has rescued a 25-year-old human trafficking victim and arrested a 26-year-old woman allegedly involved in trafficking young women to Côte d’Ivoire under the guise of offering them vocational training.
A statement issued on Sunday by the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, SP Bright Edafe, noted that the suspect, identified as Ese Betty Isiorho, was arrested by operatives of the Effurun Area Command following a petition accusing her of deceiving the victim with the promise of learning hairdressing in Côte d’Ivoire.
The statement said investigations revealed that upon arriving in the foreign country, the victim was allegedly forced into prostitution.
According to the police, the suspect confessed during interrogation to trafficking the rescued victim and another woman, also in her twenties, to Côte d’Ivoire, where they were allegedly handed over to a woman identified only as Madam Purity for prostitution. The police added that following sustained investigative efforts and collaboration, the 25-year-old victim was successfully rescued and returned to Nigeria.
The statement noted that the victim had since been reunited with her family and was receiving medical attention, while efforts were ongoing to secure the return of the second victim, who is believed to still be in Côte d’Ivoire, and apprehend other members of the trafficking syndicate.
Speaking on the development, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, Yemi Oyeniyi, commended the officers involved in the operation and reaffirmed the command’s resolve to combat human trafficking and other forms of organised crime.
“The command remains committed to combating human trafficking and other forms of organised crime. We will continue to intensify efforts to dismantle trafficking syndicates and ensure that those involved are brought to justice,” Oyeniyi said.
The commissioner urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious recruitment schemes and trafficking-related activities to the police.
The development comes days after the Delta State Government, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and development partners renewed efforts to combat human trafficking in the state.
The event was used to mark the 2026 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons; stakeholders warned that traffickers were increasingly exploiting fake job offers, vocational training schemes and other deceptive opportunities to lure vulnerable young people into exploitation, and called for stronger collaboration to tackle the menace.