The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), working alongside the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), has successfully arrested Uadiale Christiana Jacob, also known as Christy Gold, a notorious human trafficker, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The arrest took place on December 31, 2024, when Gold returned to Nigeria from Dubai.

Christy Gold has been a major player in an international trafficking syndicate that lured young Nigerian girls with fake promises of jobs abroad. These victims were then forced into prostitution in Dubai. Gold had been on NAPTIP’s wanted list for five years, and in March 2024, she was convicted by the Federal High Court in Asaba in her absence. However, she fled the country in 2021 while on bail, evading justice. As a result, the court issued a bench warrant for her arrest.

Despite her conviction, Gold continued to carry out her criminal activities with the help of several accomplices, including Michael Nduka, Osas Wiseman, Vivian, and Prophet John. While these individuals remain at large, efforts to locate and arrest them are ongoing.

The arrest was the result of a collaborative effort between NAPTIP, NIS, INTERPOL, and Nigeria’s National Intelligence Agency (NIA). Christy Gold had been placed on a watchlist by NAPTIP in February 2023, and when she tried to return to Nigeria, NIS officers at the airport apprehended her.

Binta Adamu Bello, the Director General of NAPTIP, praised the NIS for their swift action in capturing Gold. She also reaffirmed NAPTIP’s commitment to dismantling human trafficking networks and bringing justice to victims of this crime. Christy Gold will now face sentencing at the Federal High Court in Asaba for her role in the trafficking operations.

“This is a clear demonstration of effective inter-agency cooperation. Christy Gold’s arrest sends a strong message to traffickers that they can only hide for so long. Justice will eventually catch up with them,” Bello said.

This arrest marks a major step in the ongoing battle against human trafficking in Nigeria, sending a strong message to those involved in such crimes.

“We are making 2025 a nightmare for human traffickers. No criminal involved in exploiting vulnerable Nigerians will go unpunished,” she vowed.

NAPTIP remains dedicated to working with local and international agencies to put an end to human trafficking and protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation.