Nigeria Police Arrest Two International Fugitives for Human Trafficking and Armed Robbery

The Nigeria Police Force has recorded a major success in its crackdown on transnational organized crime with the arrest of two internationally wanted fugitives: Felix Omoregie and Okwudili Sabastine Ezeje.

Felix Omoregie, also known as “Eghosa Johnson Omoregie,” was arrested in Benin City, Edo State. He is the suspected ringleader of a human trafficking syndicate and had been declared wanted by Belgian authorities through an INTERPOL Red Notice issued on December 19, 2023. Omoregie allegedly trafficked young Nigerian women, including minors, to Italy and other parts of Europe for sexual exploitation. Victims were forced to take voodoo-based oaths and were manipulated with fake debts ranging from €20,000 to €50,000.

Authorities recovered incriminating materials from his residence, including a photocopy of a passport intended for a planned escape to Canada. He had previously been convicted in absentia in Belgium in 2021 for multiple counts of aggravated human trafficking and criminal organization leadership. He is scheduled to be arraigned at the Federal High Court in Benin City.

In a separate operation, INTERPOL NCB Abuja arrested Okwudili Sabastine Ezeje, 37, in Nsukka, Enugu State. Ezeje is wanted in the United Arab Emirates for armed robbery, cultism, drug trafficking, and other organized crimes. He was reportedly coordinating criminal operations remotely from Nigeria, and has been linked to major robberies in Dubai and Sharjah, including a grocery store in Dubai Mall, Al Ansari Exchange in Jumeirah, and a Bureau de Change in Jebel Ali Village.

The successful operations were carried out through collaboration between the Nigeria Police Force, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), and the Dubai Police.

Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended the operatives for their professionalism and reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to international cooperation in law enforcement. He emphasized that fugitives will not find safe haven within Nigeria’s borders and urged citizens to remain vigilant in the fight against organized crime.