The Nigerian police announced on Wednesday via their social media account, X (formerly Twitter), the arrest of Felix Omoregie, a Nigerian trafficker who has been on Europol’s most-wanted list since 2023.
Omoregie was captured in Benin City, located in the southern part of Nigeria. He fled to Nigeria in 2021 to avoid serving a 12-year prison sentence handed down by Belgian authorities.
Local authorities describe Omoregie as the mastermind behind a large human trafficking network, and following his conviction for migrant trafficking in Belgium, an international notice was issued for his arrest in December 2023. The Nigerian police have stated that he will also face trial for similar offences in Nigeria.
Omoregie allegedly organised the trafficking of young Nigerian women to Italy, and subsequently distributed them across other European countries. The victims were sexually exploited and subjected to so-called “voodoo” rituals. Believing themselves heavily indebted, they were manipulated and controlled.
The extensive network had connections reaching as far as France and Brussels.
