.As Police extradite murder suspect Benjamin Best to face charges
.IGP hails AGF, INTERPOL, assures of diligent prosecution
JONAS EZIEKE, Abuja
Three more girls trafficked to Ghana returned home Thursday as Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), put the number of those rescued from Ghana so far at about 200.
This was contained in a statement issued to newsmen by the Director of Press in the agency Mr.Abdu-rahman Balogun on Friday.
The NidCom boss noted that human trafficking will not stop if perpetrators and agents are not exposed and shamed.
The three girls trafficked to Ghana were at the NIDCOM, Lagos office on Thursday and thereafter handed over to NAPTIP.
She thanked the Chairman , NIDO Ghana Board of Trustees, Chief Callistus Elozieuwa who has been consistent in the war against trafficking by working with the Ghanaian security agencies to rescue them, the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana for effective consular support and Her Excellency the First Lady , Mrs Oluremi Tinubu (MON) for generously helping out with transportation.
She said while NAPTIP has been rescuing and also arresting traffickers, human trafficking is on the increase globally because people are shying away from naming and shaming those behind the modern day slavery.
In the last few months, about 200 Nigerians have been repatriated back to the country from Ghana.
The latest returnees, ages 17 to 19 from Bayelsa and Ebonyi states, Divine, Favour and Bright, claimed that their Aunties lured them into the sexual trade in Ghana under the guise of helping them to secure jobs and there.
In line with collaborative efforts between NiDCOM and NAPTIP, the girls were handed over to NAPTIP for proper profiling and reintegration.
The NIDCOM Chairman, as done in previous cases, in the past, personally took care of their accommodation in Lagos and paid for their transportation back to their states.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has successfully completed the extradition of Benjamin Best Nnayereugo, male, widely known as “Killaboi,” from Doha, Qatar to Nigeria.
Force Spokesman ACP Muyiwa Adejobi disclosed this in a statement issued to newsmen on Saturday in Abuja
The man who had been on the run for the murder of Miss Augusta Oseodion Onuwabhagbe, was returned to the country in the early hours of today, Saturday, 19th April 2025, through the coordinated efforts with the Ministry of Justice, INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Force Headquarters Abuja and the Qatari Judicial Authorities.
The extradition followed a petition from the family of the deceased, submitted through their legal representatives dated 29th September 2024. The matter was assigned to INTERPOL NCB Abuja for investigation. Investigations revealed that the suspect, Benjamin Best Nnayereugo, murdered Miss Onuwabhagbe, a 21-year-old first-class student of Lead City University, Ibadan, at his residence located at No. 24A Abiola Apooyi Street, Oral Estate, Ajah, Lagos, on 13th July 2023. After committing the crime, he fled Nigeria and later released an online video purporting to confess to the act, a deceptive strategy to derail investigative efforts.
Following his declaration as wanted by the NPF Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) on 13th October 2023, an INTERPOL Red Notice was issued for his global apprehension. He was initially arrested in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on 20th October 2023 under the false identity “KANU PRINCETON SAMUEL,” but escaped custody during a prison break on 26th November 2023 in Feeetown.
Further intelligence gathering revealed that the suspect continued to evade law enforcement, traversing multiple regions including West Africa, East Asia and the Middle East, under forged identities before eventually relocating to Doha, Qatar on 24th January, 2025. Operating under the alias “TOURE ABDOULAYE” with a fraudulent Guinean passport, he secured illegal employment and concealed his identity.
Through robust international cooperation and the use of advanced biometrics, INTERPOL NCB Abuja, in collaboration with INTERPOL NCB Doha, confirmed his identity, leading to his arrest by Qatari authorities in February 2025. An official extradition request, processed via the Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja, was subsequently approved by the Qatari judicial authorities, resulting in his repatriation to Nigeria.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, while recognising the strength in the synergy amongst nations to curb trans-border crimes, commended the diligence of INTERPOL NCB Abuja and extended sincere appreciation to the Honorable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Government of Qatar, INTERPOL NCB Doha, and the Nigerian Embassy in Qatar for their invaluable collaboration in securing the fugitive’s return.
The Inspector-General of Police further assured the general public of the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to ensuring that the suspect faces diligent prosecution, as part of the NPF’s dedication to justice and the safety of all Nigerians.
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