No fewer than 14 Nigerians have been declared wanted by the International Police (INTERPOL) for crimes ranging from human trafficking and drug trafficking to robbery, cheating, and forgery.
The information, gathered by PUNCH Metro on Tuesday, was based on Red Notices published on the INTERPOL website. These notices detail the names, crimes, and countries seeking the individuals’ arrest.
List of Wanted Nigerians and Alleged Offences
The wanted individuals include:
- Felix Omoregie: Allegedly led a criminal organisation exploiting minors for prostitution. Wanted by Belgium for sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and other related crimes.
- Jessica Edosomwan: Wanted by France for multiple counts of human trafficking involving organised gangs.
- Uche Egbue, Jude Uzoma, and Chinedu Ezeunara: Allegedly involved in drug trafficking. Egbue is wanted by Argentina, Uzoma by Brazil, and Ezeunara by Uruguay.
- Benedict Okoro: Accused of organised crime and sought by authorities in Nicaragua.
- Ikechukwu Obidiozor, Akachi Vitus, and Alachi Stanley: Wanted by Angola for kidnapping, robbery, and illegal possession of firearms.
- Mary Eze: Accused of human trafficking and sought by Denmark.
- Bouhari Salif: Allegedly involved in drug smuggling and wanted by Chinese authorities.
- Timloh Nkem: Sought by Canadian authorities for sexual assault and failure to comply with recognisance conditions.
- Austine Costa and Okromi Festus: Wanted by India for criminal conspiracy, forgery, and cheating.
Details on Red Notices
INTERPOL clarified that Red Notices are not international arrest warrants. Instead, they are requests to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or similar legal action.
According to INTERPOL, “The individuals are wanted by the requesting member country or international tribunal. Member countries apply their laws in deciding whether to arrest a person.”
Public Appeal for Assistance
INTERPOL urged the public to report any information regarding the wanted individuals to local police authorities. These Red Notices serve as alerts to possible threats and a call for assistance in tracking the suspects.
This development highlights the growing international collaboration in addressing transnational crimes and underscores the need for vigilance in combating criminal activities involving Nigerians abroad.