THE Police in Nasarawa State have rescued about 40 victims of human trafficking, including 33 males and seven females, from a bungalow in Orange Market, Mararaba, Karu Local Council of Nasarawa State.

The Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Shetima-Jauro, revealed this while officially handing over the victims rescued by his men to the Comptroller of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nasarawa State Command, Sekure Ubale, in Lafia, yesterday.

The police boss stated that the victims, mostly Malian nationals, were lured to Nigeria with promises of job opportunities in France.
Shetima-Jauro, however, maintained that the victims were allegedly held captive and compelled to contact other potential victims to join them in Nigeria.

According to him, the personnel of the command acted on credible intelligence and swiftly mobilised a team to the scene and rescued the victims.

He hinted that the prime suspect, Abdullahi Berter, a Malian, who was at large, had just been apprehended after a manhunt to arrest him and other members of the trafficking syndicate.
He told journalists that the rescued victims would be handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) for thorough investigation and necessary action, adding that the police were working to unravel the full extent of the operation and bring those responsible to justice to serve as a deterrent to others in the state.

Confirming the receipt of the victims, Ubale explained that his command also apprehended additional 20 Malians who would be profiled for repatriation to their various countries.

In the same vein, the command arrested a suspected kidnapper, Abubakar Adamu, and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from him.
The command noted that the suspect, a resident of Adudu District, Obi Local Council of Nasarawa, was arrested on November 24, 2025, at Kertyo Village in Obi.

He affirmed that credible intelligence led to the arrest, and during interrogation, the suspect led detectives to his hideout, where one AK-47 rifle, two magazines and 11 rounds of live ammunition were recovered.

According to him, the suspect is undergoing investigation and will face prosecution upon completion of investigation.

While assuring members of the public of the command’s unwavering commitment to safeguard lives and property across the 13 local councils, he vowed to pursue traffickers and criminals relentlessly and dismantle their networks.

Cautioning that Nasarawa is not a safe haven for human trafficking and other crimes, he assured that justice would be served.