{"id":195497,"date":"2026-02-19T23:32:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T22:32:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/uncategorized\/ebonyi-neighborhood-watch-intercepts-trafficked-youths"},"modified":"2026-02-20T00:36:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T23:36:13","slug":"ebonyi-neighborhood-watch-intercepts-trafficked-youths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/ebonyi-neighborhood-watch-intercepts-trafficked-youths","title":{"rendered":"Ebonyi Neighborhood Watch Intercepts Trafficked Youths"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Nigeria. <\/strong><\/span>The State Commander of the Neighbourhood Watch, an internal security outfit in Ebonyi, Victor Nwenyi, has disclosed that his office recently intercepted and prevented the trafficking of 32 youths out of the state.<\/p>\n

Speaking in an interview on Thursday in Abakaliki, Nwenyi said the operation targeted groups masquerading as \u201cmillionaire trainers,\u201d who lure teenagers under the pretext of entrepreneurship programmes, only to move them across state borders without parental consent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese youths were being gathered under the guise of learning to become millionaires. They were recruited from streets and schools without their parents\u2019 knowledge. Our office intervened and handed them over to the police, and the parents were able to reclaim their children,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

According to Nwenyi, the operation reflects the office\u2019s commitment to combating human trafficking and safeguarding the welfare of the state\u2019s young population.<\/p>\n

He emphasized that proactive measures, including public sensitization and collaboration with parents, have contributed to a sharp decline in trafficking cases in Ebonyi.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur approach is diplomatic and preventive. We go beyond enforcement to educate parents and communities on monitoring youths\u2019 activities, especially on social media, which traffickers often exploit,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n

The commander also addressed misconceptions about the treatment of suspects during investigations, stating that all confessions are recorded on video and obtained without torture or coercion.<\/p>\n

Nwenyi noted that his office works closely with the police and other security agencies to ensure recovered individuals and property are safely returned, citing a recent operation in which over 15 stolen motorcycles were retrieved in coordination with the Cross River State police.<\/p>\n

He reiterated the Neighborhood Watch\u2019s non-partisan stance, insisting that the office operates strictly on security grounds and does not engage in political activities, even during the current political season.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur mission is peace and security. Regardless of party affiliations, anyone involved in criminal activity will face the full weight of the law,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The State Commander called on parents and community leaders to remain vigilant, noting that the proactive efforts of security agencies, combined with community cooperation, have significantly reduced human trafficking and other youth-related crimes in Ebonyi State.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Nigeria<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Nigeria. The State Commander of the Neighbourhood Watch, an internal security outfit in Ebonyi, Victor Nwenyi, has disclosed that his office recently intercepted and prevented the trafficking of 32 youths out of the state. Speaking in an interview on Thursday in Abakaliki, Nwenyi said the operation targeted groups masquerading as \u201cmillionaire trainers,\u201d who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":195496,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,14],"tags":[254],"class_list":["post-195497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-nigeria"],"yoast_head":"\nEbonyi Neighborhood Watch Intercepts Trafficked Youths - Nigeria<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The State Commander of the Neighbourhood Watch, an internal security outfit in Ebonyi, Victor Nwenyi, has disclosed that ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/ebonyi-neighborhood-watch-intercepts-trafficked-youths\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ebonyi Neighborhood Watch Intercepts Trafficked Youths\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The State Commander of the Neighbourhood Watch, an internal security outfit in Ebonyi, Victor Nwenyi, has disclosed that ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/ebonyi-neighborhood-watch-intercepts-trafficked-youths\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Nigeria\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-19T22:32:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-19T23:36:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/sm_1771544139.855873.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/ebonyi-neighborhood-watch-intercepts-trafficked-youths#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/ebonyi-neighborhood-watch-intercepts-trafficked-youths\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Ebonyi Neighborhood Watch Intercepts Trafficked Youths\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-19T22:32:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-19T23:36:13+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/ebonyi-neighborhood-watch-intercepts-trafficked-youths\"},\"wordCount\":367,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/ebonyi-neighborhood-watch-intercepts-trafficked-youths#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/sm_1771544139.855873.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Nigeria\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"Policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/ebonyi-neighborhood-watch-intercepts-trafficked-youths#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/ebonyi-neighborhood-watch-intercepts-trafficked-youths\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/ebonyi-neighborhood-watch-intercepts-trafficked-youths\",\"name\":\"Ebonyi Neighborhood Watch Intercepts Trafficked Youths - 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