Wanted Human Trafficking Syndicate Leader Arrested At Abuja Airport After Five-Year Hunt
A convicted leader of an international human trafficking ring, Uadiale Christiana Jacob, also known as Christy Gold, has been nabbed by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
She was arrested on 31st December, 2024, as she returned from Dubai to celebrate the New Year.
Uadiale, who has been on the wanted list of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for over five years, is accused of trafficking underage Nigerian girls to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for forced prostitution.
Uadiale was first arrested in October 2020 in Benin City, Edo State, following allegations of operating a trafficking syndicate.
She was charged at the Federal High Court, Asaba, in November 2020, but later absconded while on bail, prompting a bench warrant for her arrest in 2021.
According to report, in March 2024, she was convicted in absentia by Justice F. A. Olubanjo of the Federal High Court, with sentencing deferred until her rearrest.
NAPTIP, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, INTERPOL Nigeria, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and the UAE Police, worked tirelessly to bring Uadiale to justice.
Acted on NAPTIP’s 2023 request to place her on a watchlist, NIS officers arrested her upon her return to Nigeria.
NAPTIP’s spokesperson, Vincent Adekoye, who collaborated the report, also disclosed that several accomplices, including Michael Nduka, Osas Wiseman, Vivian, and a certain Prophet John, are still at large.
Those individuals allegedly aided in recruiting and transferring victims to Uadiale, the human trafficker.
Her arrest underscored Nigeria’s commitment towards eradicating human trafficking and bringing offenders to justice, as authorities have also reaffirmed their determination to prosecute all involved in exploiting vulnerable individuals.
Uadiale is currently in custody and will face sentencing at the Federal High Court, Asaba, in the coming days.
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