The Nasarawa State Police Command has rescued 40 foreign nationals, mostly from Mali and Ivory Coast, who were lured into Nigeria by a human trafficking syndicate with false promises of jobs in France.
The victims were intercepted before they could be transported out of the country, police said on Saturday.
State Commissioner of Police, Shettima Jauro, disclosed the rescue during a press briefing in Lafia, the state capital.
According to CP Jauro, the victims were deceived with offers of employment in Europe and brought into Nigeria through illegal routes. They were being held in a location within the state ahead of onward movement to France when police acted on intelligence and raided the premises.
The prime suspect, believed to be the leader of the trafficking ring, remains at large. Police say efforts are ongoing to arrest him and other accomplices.
No further details about the victims’ conditions or the exact location of the rescue were immediately released, as investigations continue.
