By John Audu
A Nigerian woman, Uadiale Christiana Jacob, also known as Christy Evan Osagie or Christy Gold, has been apprehended by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. Jacob, the alleged leader of an international human trafficking network, has been on the wanted list of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for five years. Her criminal network is reportedly active in the Middle East, with a base of operations in the United Arab Emirates.
Christiana Jacob was arrested on December 31, 2024, upon her arrival from Dubai, where she had gone to celebrate the New Year. Her capture was the result of a watchlist request by NAPTIP issued on February 22, 2023.
NAPTIP’s Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, stated that Jacob’s accomplices, including individuals named Michael Nduka, Osas Wiseman, Vivian, and a “Prophet John” in Lagos, remain at large. These individuals are suspected of assisting in the recruitment and trafficking of victims to Dubai for prostitution.
The investigation into Jacob’s activities began on March 18, 2020, when intelligence from the NIS Ikeja Airport Command led to NAPTIP’s involvement. Jacob, a senior member of a notorious human trafficking syndicate, was first arrested by NAPTIP on October 13, 2020, in Benin City. Charged in Federal High Court, Asaba, on November 25, 2020, she was granted bail but violated its terms and fled to Dubai. A bench warrant for her arrest was issued on November 3, 2021, after her repeated failure to appear in court.
NAPTIP, alongside various national and international agencies, sought Jacob’s extradition to Nigeria. Despite her attempts to evade justice, she was convicted in absentia for human trafficking by Justice F. A. Olubanjo of the Federal High Court, Asaba, on March 21, 2024. Her sentencing awaits her re-arrest.
The long-standing pursuit by NAPTIP and associated agencies culminated in her arrest on December 31, 2024, as she returned to Nigeria, thus closing a significant chapter in the fight against human trafficking in the region.
