Two persons, Felix Omoregie and Okwudili Ezeje,wanted for armed robbery and human trafficking in Belgium and Dubai have been arrested by the Nigeria Police force in Edo state.
While Omoregie is a suspected human trafficking kingpin declared wanted by Belgian authorities, Ezeje is a key figure in a Dubai-based armed robbery syndicate.
Omoregie, alias “Eghosa Johnson Omoregie,” was apprehended in Benin City, Edo State, while police operatives, in conjunction with the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Abuja, arrested 37-year-old Ezeje in Nsukka, Enugu State.
In a statement on Wednesday, Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said Omoregie had been on the run since his 2021 conviction in absentia in Belgium for multiple counts of aggravated human trafficking and leading a criminal organisation.
The statement said, “The Nigeria Police Force has recorded a significant breakthrough in its fight against transnational organised crime with the arrest of two internationally wanted fugitives: Felix Omoregie alias ‘Eghosa Johnson Omoregie,’ a suspected ringleader of a human trafficking syndicate wanted by Belgian authorities, and Okwudili Sabastine Ezeje, a key member of a Dubai-based armed robbery gang.
“Felix Omoregie, the alleged mastermind of a large-scale human trafficking operation, had been declared wanted by the Belgian authorities through an INTERPOL Red Notice issued on 19th December 2023, and was arrested in Benin City, Edo State, following diligent intelligence and enforcement efforts by Police operatives. He is scheduled to be arraigned at the Federal High Court in Benin City.”
Adejobi said Omoregie’s syndicate trafficked young Nigerian women, including minors, to Italy, later dispersing them across Europe for sexual exploitation.
He said, “Omoregie is accused of trafficking young Nigerian women, including minors, to Italy and subsequently dispersing them across Europe for sexual exploitation.
Victims were subjected to voodoo-based oaths and psychological coercion, with fabricated debts ranging between €20,000 and €50,000 used to manipulate and control them.
“His criminal network involved handlers in Brussels and France who managed the victims’ activities and remitted proceeds to him.
“Following a conviction in absentia in Belgium in 2021 for multiple counts of aggravated human trafficking and criminal organisation leadership, Omoregie fled to Nigeria. Upon his arrest, a search of his premises revealed incriminating materials, including a photocopy of a passport intended for a planned relocation to Canada. “
Adejobi said Ezeje was wanted in the United Arab Emirates for armed robbery, drug trafficking, cultism, and coordinating organised crime activities from Nigeria.
He said the suspect has been directly linked to several high-profile robberies in Dubai and Sharjah, including an armed robbery at a grocery store in Dubai Mall, a targeted hit on Al Ansari Exchange in Jumeirah, and another heist at a Bureau de Change in Jebel Ali Village.
Adejobi added, “In a separate operation, the INTERPOL NCB, Abuja, apprehended 37-year-old Okwudili Sabastine Ezeje at a hideout in Nsukka, Enugu State. Ezeje is wanted by authorities in the United Arab Emirates for a series of serious crimes, including armed robbery, cultism, drug trafficking, and other organised criminal activities.
“Intelligence gathered reveals that Ezeje continued to coordinate criminal operations remotely from Nigeria. He has been directly linked to several high-profile robberies in Dubai and Sharjah, including an armed robbery at a grocery store in Dubai Mall, a targeted hit on Al Ansari Exchange in Jumeirah, and another heist at a Bureau de Change in Jebel Ali Village.
“The arrest was the result 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 arraignment of Okwudili Ezeje is expected to take place shortly.”
