By Desire Emmanuel
A Special Assistant on Internal Security to a local government Chairman in Ebonyi State is currently being quizzed by men of the state police command after he was said to have facilitated the trafficking of a 16-year-old girl to Libya.
The state police command announced the arrest of the man, Chukwudi Nwite, popularly known as Igbaoto, who is the Special Assistant (SA) on Internal Security to Mr Ikechukwu Ogboffia, Chairman of Onicha Local Government Area of the state.
According to the command, the man facilitated the exploitative movement of the 16-year-old-girl to Libya in the month of October.
The victim’s father, Mr Johnson Agu, while narrating the incident, disclosed that Nwite visited his home at Ohoaffia Amoffia village, Ukawu community in the area after which his daughter allegedly went missing.
It was gathered that when he inquired, he found out that Nwite, who disguised as a commercial motorcycle rider, picked his daughter with her luggage and took her to Ugwulangwu in Ohaozara Local Government Area where she allegedly boarded a bus for the journey to Libya.
Agu further said that he reported the matter to his community where evidence about an alleged unholy business involving his daughter and another female member of the trafficking syndicate was revealed.
Commenting, the victim’s friend, a 15-year-old girl (names withheld) alleged that the local government chairman’s aide had wanted to traffic her alongside the victim but that she declined.
Agbafor also alleged that the accused person had taken pictures of her and the victim with his smartphone and sent the same to Ugbala.
Mr Clement Okorofor, the Village Head of Ohoaffia Amoffia Ukawu, confirmed that the man was seen taking pictures of the victim and her friend in the area..
Okorofor said that upon interrogation by the villagers on November 10, Nwite admitted to having aided the victim’s trip to Libya by taking her to Ugwulangwu motor park where she took off.
Nwite, when interrogated by the police, denied being a human trafficker but claimed he only assisted the victim and another girl with a phone to enable them contact the alleged syndicate Ugbala.
“I didn’t know the victim until sometime ago when she approached me and disclosed her intention to travel outside the country.
“I did not play another role pertaining to her journey to Libya, apart from connecting her to Ugbala and conveying her to the motor park,” he said.
Reacting, the state Coordinator, Gender Based Violence Taskforce, Mrs Faithvin Nwanchor, said they would conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
“It is a case of human trafficking and investigation is ongoing. We hope for a just result,” Nwanchor said.
Ogboffia, the council boss, when contacted, said Nwite should be made to face the consequences if found culpable.
“I received a call last week that he was apprehended for alleged human trafficking. If he is found guilty, let him face the consequences.
“Chukwudi Nwite is among the six appointees sworn-in as SAs on internal security to maintain law and order in communities in the local government area,” Ogboffia said.
