A suspected ritualist and kidnapper, Obi Obieze, also known as Obu Onyeka, has been arrested by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) while attempting to escape through the Seme border in Lagos.
Obieze, a well-known native doctor from Umuojor village in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, was declared wanted by the Enugu State Police Command following his alleged involvement in the abduction of a 13-year-old girl.
He was arrested on Wednesday around 2:00 p.m. by officers of the NIS Lagos State Border Patrol Command at the Gbaji checkpoint along the Badagry-Seme Expressway.
Eyewitnesses said the suspect had boarded a night bus from Enugu and arrived at Mile 2, Lagos, around 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday. From there, he took a commercial vehicle to Badagry Roundabout and hired an okada rider to take him to Seme.
According to sources, the motorcycle had already passed the immigration checkpoint at Gbaji when one of the officers identified the passenger and ordered the rider to stop.
“Obieze attempted to flee on foot but was quickly overpowered and arrested by the NIS operatives,” a witness said. “He was immediately taken to the command office and detained while the Controller notified NIS Headquarters.”
The arrest was confirmed in Abuja on Thursday by the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap, in a statement issued by the Service Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi.
According to the statement, Obieze was linked to the abduction of a teenage girl who was reportedly kidnapped by three men while walking with her father to the farm in Enugu on Tuesday, May 27.
The girl was later rescued by police officers from a shrine allegedly operated by the suspect. During preliminary questioning, Obieze allegedly confessed to the crime.
NIS operatives recovered a National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) slip from him, which helped confirm his identity.
Comptroller General Nandap praised the officers at the Gbaji checkpoint for their swift action, stating that the suspect would be handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation and prosecution.
She also assured Nigerians of the Immigration Service’s ongoing commitment to border security and the fight against cross-border crimes.
“The arrest of Obieze is a strong message to criminals that our borders are not safe havens for escape. NIS will continue to support the efforts of all security agencies to protect lives and uphold justice,” she said.
The incident has sparked renewed calls for tighter border surveillance, especially in light of increasing cases of ritual-related crimes and child abduction across parts of the country.