At least 14 Nigerians have been declared wanted by International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) for various offences, including human trafficking, drug trafficking, robbery, fraud, and forgery.
This information was obtained on Tuesday from Red Notices published on the INTERPOL website, which state that these individuals are wanted in multiple countries for crimes they are alleged to have committed.
The wanted individuals identified are Felix Omoregie, Jessica Edosomwan, Uche Egbue, Jude Uzoma, Chinedu Ezeunara, Benedict Okoro, Ikechukwu Obidiozor, and Alachi Stanley. The list continues with Bouhari Salif, Timloh Nkem, Austine Costa, Okromi Festus, Akachi Vitus, and Mary Eze.
According to the notices, Omoregie is sought by Belgian authorities for allegedly leading a criminal organisation that exploits minors for prostitution. The notice details: “Family name: Omoregie, Forename: Felix, Gender: Male, Date of birth: 22/10/1977 (47 years old), Nationality: Nigeria. Charges as provided by the requesting entity include: Sexual exploitation or exploitation of prostitution of minors over 16 years; Sexual exploitation or exploitation of prostitution of another person; Leader of a criminal organisation; Human trafficking for the purpose of prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation.”
Egbue is also wanted by French authorities for “trafficking multiple victims in human beings, involving an organised gang in hiding or converting the proceeds of crime.”
Meanwhile, Ezeunara is wanted by Uruguayan officials for alleged drug trafficking, Uzoma by Brazil for similar charges, and Okoro by Nicaragua for alleged organised crime.
Further investigation on the INTERPOL website revealed that Obidiozor, Vitus, and Stanley are wanted by the Angolan government for “kidnapping, robbery, and illegal possession of firearms.”
Other notices specify that Eze is wanted by Denmark for “trafficking in human beings,” Salif by China for “drug smuggling,” and Nkem by Canada for “sexual assault and failure to comply with a condition of recognisance.”
Costa is wanted by India for “criminal conspiracy; possession of a document knowing it to be forged with intent to use it as genuine; forgery of valuable documents, including wills; and forgery for the purpose of fraud.” Okromi is also sought by India for “criminal conspiracy and fraud.”
INTERPOL has clarified that these notices aim to alert the public about potential threats and to seek assistance in locating the individuals.
The statement reads: “A Red Notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. A Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant. The individuals are sought by the requesting member country or international tribunal, and member countries decide their own laws regarding the arrest of individuals.”
The public is encouraged to report any information they may have about these wanted persons to their local police authorities.
