Police rescue 40 Malian, Ivorian human traficking victims in Nasarawa

The Nasarawa State Police Command has rescued 40 victims of human trafficking, including 33 males and 7 females, from a bungalow in Orange Market, Mararaba, Karu Local Government Area.

State Police commissioner Mohammed Shetima Jauro made this known during a briefing in Lafia, the state capital.

The police commissioner said the victims, mostly Malian nationals, were lured to Nigeria with promises of job opportunities in France.

He said they were allegedly held captive and forced to contact other potential victims to join them in Nigeria.

The CP said police acted on credible intelligence and swiftly mobilized a team to the scene, rescuing the victims.

“Upon receipt of this information, a team of police detectives was immediately mobilized to the location, where thirty-three (33) males and seven (7) females, all Malian nationals with the exception of one person from Ivory Coast, were rescued from a bungalow at Orange Market, Mararaba, Karu LGA.”

He, however, said the prime suspect, Abdullahi Berter, a Malian national who was at large, had just been arrested after a manhunt launched to apprehend him and other members of the trafficking syndicate.

The rescued victims will be handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further investigation and necessary action. The police are working to unravel the full extent of the trafficking operation and bring those responsible to justice.

Confirming the receipt of the victims, state controller of Nigeria Immigration Service Sekure Ubale said his command also arrested additional 20 malians, which will be profiled for repatriation to their countries.

In another development, the command has arrested a suspected kidnapper, Abubakar Adamu, and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from him. The suspect, a resident of Adudu District, Obi Local Government Area, was arrested on November 24, 2025, at Kertyo Village, Obi LGA.

According to the police, credible intelligence led to the arrest, “During interrogation, the suspect led detectives of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit to his Ruga in Adudu, where a search was conducted and items recovered from him including One (1) AK-47 rifle,  Two (2) magazines, Eleven (11) rounds of live 7.62 x 39mm ammunition.”

The suspect is currently undergoing investigation and will face prosecution upon completion of the investigation.

The police commissioner assured the public that the safety of lives and property remains their top priority, vowing to pursue traffickers and criminals relentlessly and dismantle their networks. He warned that Nasarawa State is not a safe haven for human trafficking and other crimes, and justice will be served.

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