The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has said that it has recorded a significant breakthrough in its fight against transnational organised crime with the arrest of two international wanted fugitives: Felix Omoregie alias “Eghosa Johnson Omoregie,” a suspected ringleader of a human trafficking syndicate wanted by Belgian authorities, and Okwudili Sabastine Ezeje, a key member of a Dubai-based armed robbery gang.
Felix Omoregie, the alleged mastermind of a large-scale human trafficking operations, had been declared wanted by the Belgian authorities through an INTERPOL Red Notice issued on December 19, 2023, and was arrested in Benin City, Edo State, following diligent intelligence and enforcement efforts by Police operatives. He is scheduled to be arraigned at the Federal High Court in Benin City.
Omoregie is accused of trafficking young Nigerian women—including minors—to Italy and subsequently dispersing them across Europe for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Victims were subjected to voodoo-based oaths and psychological coercion, with fabricated debts ranging between €20,000 and €50,000 used to manipulate and control them.
A statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Wednesday, said Omoregie’s criminal network involved handlers in Brussels and France who managed the victims’ activities and remitted proceeds to him.
“Following a conviction in absentia in Belgium in 2021 for multiple counts of aggravated human trafficking and criminal organization leadership, Omoregie fled to Nigeria. Upon his arrest, a search of his premises revealed incriminating materials, including a photocopy of a passport intended for a planned relocation to Canada,” he stated.
ACP Adejobi also revealed that in a separate operation, the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Abuja apprehended 37-year-old Okwudili Sabastine Ezeje at a hideout in Nsukka, Enugu State. Ezeje is wanted by authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a series of serious crimes, including armed robbery, cultism, drug trafficking, and other organised criminal activities.
“Intelligence gathered reveals that Ezeje continued to coordinate criminal operations remotely from Nigeria. He has been directly linked to several high-profile robberies in Dubai and Sharjah, including an armed robbery at a grocery store in Dubai Mall, a targeted hit on Al Ansari Exchange in Jumeirah, and another heist at a Bureau de Change in Jebel Ali Village.
“The arrest was the result of strategic intelligence sharing and operational collaboration between the Nigeria Police Force, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), and the Dubai Police. The arraignment of Okwudili Ezeje is expected to take place shortly,” he stated.
He added that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, commended all operatives involved in the high-profile arrests for their professionalism, diligence, and dedication to upholding Nigeria’s international law enforcement obligations. “The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to enhancing its global policing partnerships and ensuring that fugitives find no safe haven within our borders,” he said. “These arrests serve as a clear message that criminal elements, no matter how far they run or how long they hide, will be brought to justice. The Force calls on citizens to remain vigilant and cooperative in the fight against organized crime, both at home and abroad.”
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