Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A 21-year-old man, Junior Izuchukwu, has told the harrowing story of how he was allegedly detained, starved and tortured for nearly three months after rejecting an offer to participate in a cybercrime operation in Enugu State, an ordeal that ended only when he and two other captives escaped from a luxury estate on June 11, 2026, and cried out to residents for help.
Izuchukwu, along with Joseph Ibangwu and Miracle Tochukwu, all from Ebonyi State, were lured to Enugu under the false promise of legitimate employment. A commercial motorcyclist in Ebonyi State told them a friend was recruiting workers for a new office, provided transport money, and directed them to Shoprite in Enugu. There, a man identified only as “Ejioba” picked them up and took them to House Number HY193 within the high‑brow Heliu Estate along the Enugu‑Port Harcourt Expressway.
Upon arrival, Ejioba presented them with laptop computers and told Izuchukwu that he would use the device for the job. Within three days, the situation turned violent. When Izuchukwu expressed his unwillingness to participate and requested to return home, Ejioba demanded ₦300,000 for the food he had provided during the three days. When Izuchukwu could not pay, the suspect locked all exits, seized their phones, and subjected them to sustained physical abuse using mop sticks, canes, electric wires and iron rods.
The captives were fed only once daily with plain white rice without stew and were constantly monitored through surveillance cameras installed throughout the building. Their escape became possible after another captive, Daniel, discovered an opening on the upper floor of the one‑story building and jumped down. Fearing that Ejioba would notice the escape through the remote camera feed, Izuchukwu and Joseph also seized the opportunity to flee.
The victims were rescued by estate security personnel, who provided immediate first aid before handing them over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The suspect was arrested and later transferred to the Anti‑Kidnapping Unit of the Enugu State Police Command.
During police interrogation, a 23‑year‑old suspect, Victor Oruba Nwite, also known as "Ejioba," confessed to running an internet fraud scheme and recruiting young men into the criminal network. “I won’t lie to you, I needed boys,” he told investigators when questioned about his relationship with the victims, adding that he ran a scheme involving impersonation of military personnel to defraud foreign victims online. He admitted to recruiting one of the escapees, Miracle, through a contact identified as Edu.
A human rights organisation, the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), has petitioned Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah in a letter dated June 18, 2026, demanding a full investigation and prosecution of all individuals involved in the alleged abduction, unlawful detention and torture. The group described the alleged confinement as “barbaric” and a “heinous crime” and called for urgent intervention.
The victims are currently receiving medical treatment for injuries sustained during their captivity. The Enugu State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement on the suspect’s confession, while the NSCDC confirmed awareness of the incident but declined to provide further details.
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