Two globally sought fugitives have been apprehended by the Nigeria Police Force: Okwudili Sabastine Ezeje, a major member of an armed robbery group based in Dubai, and Felix Omoregie, also known as “Eghosa Johnson Omoregie,” a suspected ringleader of a human trafficking network that Belgian authorities are pursuing.
According to reports, Police Force Spokesperson ACP Muyiwa Adejobi announced this in a statement on Wednesday.
After careful intelligence and enforcement efforts by police officers, Felix Omoregie, the suspected mastermind of a massive human trafficking operation, was apprehended in Benin City, Edo State. He was wanted by Belgian authorities via an INTERPOL Red Notice issued on December 19, 2023. At the Federal High Court in Benin City, he is expected to be arraigned.
Omoregie is charged with trafficking young Nigerian women, including children, to Italy and then distributing them throughout Europe for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Faked debts of between €20,000 and €50,000 were used to corrupt and control the victims, who were also subjected to psychological coercion and voodoo-based oaths. Handlers in Brussels and France were part of his criminal network, overseeing the victims’ activities and sending him the money they made. Omoregie escaped to Nigeria after being found guilty in absentia in Belgium in 2021 of several charges of aggravated human trafficking and criminal organization leadership. Incriminating items, including a photocopy of a passport meant for a planned move to Canada, were found during a search of his home after he was arrested.
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In a separate operation, Okwudili Sabastine Ezeje, 37, was captured at a hiding place in Nsukka, Enugu State, by the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja. Police in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are searching for Ezeje for a number of significant offenses, such as drug trafficking, cultism, armed robbery, and other organized crime. According to the intelligence acquired, Ezeje persisted in using Nigeria to remotely organize illegal activities. He has been directly connected to a number of high-profile robberies in Dubai and Sharjah, such as an armed heist at a grocery store in Dubai Mall, a targeted attack on Jumeirah’s Al Ansari Exchange, and another heist at a Bureau de Change in Jebel Ali Village.
“The arrest was the consequence 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 statement said. It is anticipated that Okwudili Ezeje will be arraigned soon.
All of the officers involved in these well-publicized arrests are commended by Inspector-General of Police IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, for their professionalism, diligence, and commitment to fulfilling Nigeria’s international law enforcement duties. The Nigeria Police Force is steadfast in its resolve to strengthen its international policing alliances and make sure that criminals are unable to find refuge within our boundaries. These arrests are a strong indication that criminal elements will be held accountable regardless of how far they flee or how long they hide. In the battle against organized crime, both domestically and internationally, the Force urges citizens to continue being watchful and helpful.
