By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu, Uyo
What was meant to be a human trafficking operation turned on its head in Akwa Ibom State when girls allegedly recruited for prostitution in Burkina Faso detained their agent and demanded ransom from him.
The bizarre twist came to light after the Akwa Ibom State Police Command arrested three suspects in connection with the case, according to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John.
Police said the victim, Michael, was sent from Burkina Faso by his brother-in-law, a suspected trafficking kingpin, to move several girls from Uyo across the border. But on arrival, the supposed victims flipped the script, luring him into a hotel in Nung Oku, Ibesikpo Asutan, where they held him captive.
There, they allegedly beat him, seized his ATM card, withdrew ₦111,000, and demanded ₦4 million ransom, forcing him to contact his boss in Burkina Faso for more money.
“Operatives of the command arrested three suspects following intelligence about the incident,” DSP John said. The arrested suspects were identified as Iniobong David (45), Edikan Samuel (23), and Joseph Jonah Akpan (27), while others escaped before police arrived.
Recovered from the scene were multiple identification documents, six ATM cards bearing the name Utuk Unyime Justine, a University of Uyo gate pass, several mobile phones, power banks, and a mini bus used by the suspects.
Police said the case highlights the intersection of two serious crimes: human trafficking and kidnapping. “What began as a trafficking operation spiraled into a kidnapping incident, underscoring the risks posed by organized criminal networks,” John stated.
The police assured that investigations are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects and to dismantle the trafficking syndicate behind the botched mission.