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46 migrants found dead in abandoned trailer in United States

Published

4 years ago

June 29, 2022

Forty-six people were found dead after being abandoned in a tractor-trailer on a remote back road in San Antonio in what marked the latest tragedy to claim the lives of migrants smuggled across the border from Mexico to the US.

Sixteen people were hospitalised, including four children.

A city worker heard a cry for help from the truck shortly before 6pm Monday and discovered the gruesome scene, Police Chief William McManus said.

Hours later, body bags lay spread on the ground near the trailer as a grim symbol of the calamity.

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said the 46 who died had “families who were likely trying to find a better life.”

“This is nothing short of a horrific human tragedy,” Nirenberg said.

It’s among the deadliest tragedies to have claimed thousands of lives of people attempting to cross the US border from Mexico in recent decades.

Ten migrants died in 2017 after being trapped inside a truck that was parked at a Walmart in San Antonio.

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In 2003, 19 migrants were found in a sweltering truck southeast of San Antonio.

The home countries of the immigrants and how long they were abandoned on the side of the road was not immediately known.

South Texas has long been the busiest area for illegal border crossings. Migrants ride in vehicles though Border Patrol checkpoints to San Antonio, the closest major city, from which point they disperse across the United States.

A city worker at the scene on a remote back road in southwest San Antonio was alerted to the situation by a cry for help shortly before 6pm Monday, Police Chief William McManus said.

Officers arrived to find a body on the ground outside the trailer and a partially opened gate to the trailer, he said.

Hours later, body bags lay spread on the ground near the trailer as a grim symbol of the calamity.

Bodies still remained inside.

Of the 16 taken to hospitals with heat-related illnesses, 12 were adults and four were children, said Fire Chief Charles Hood.

The patients were hot to the touch and dehydrated, and no water was found in the trailer, he said.

“They were suffering from heat stroke and exhaustion,” Hood said. “It was a refrigerated tractor-trailer, but there was no visible working AC unit on that rig.”

Those in the trailer were part of a presumed migrant smuggling attempt into the United States, and the investigation was being led by US Homeland Security Investigations, McManus said.

Three people were taken into custody, but it was unclear if they were definitively connected with human trafficking, McManus said.

Big rigs emerged as a popular smuggling method in the early 1990s amid a surge in US border enforcement in San Diego and El Paso, Texas, which were then the busiest corridors for illegal crossings.

Before that, people paid small fees to mom-and-pop operators to get them across a largely unguarded border.

As crossing became exponentially more difficult after the 2001 terror attacks in the US, migrants were led through more perilous terrain and paid thousands of dollars more.

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Heat poses a serious danger, particularly when temperatures can rise severely inside vehicles.

Weather in the San Antonio area was mostly cloudy Monday, but temperatures approached 100 degrees.

Some advocates drew a link to the Biden administration’s border policies.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director at the American Immigration Council, wrote that he had been dreading such a tragedy for months.

“With the border shut as tightly as it is today for migrants from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, people have been pushed into more and more dangerous routes. Truck smuggling is a way up,” he wrote on Twitter.

Stephen Miller, a chief architect of former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, said, “Human smugglers and traffickers are wicked and evil” and that the administration’s approach to border security rewards their actions.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican running for reelection, was blunt in a tweet about the Democratic president: “These deaths are on Biden. They are a result of his deadly open border policies.”

Migrants — largely from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — have been expelled more than two million times under a pandemic-era rule in effect since March 2020 that denies them a chance to seek asylum but encourages repeat attempts because there are no legal consequences for getting caught.

People from other countries, notably Cuba, Nicaragua and Colombia, are subject to Title 42 authority less frequently due to higher costs of sending them home, strained diplomatic relations and other considerations.

US Customs and Border Protection reported 557 deaths on the southwest border in the 12-month period ending September 30, more than double the 247 deaths reported in the previous year and the highest since it began keeping track in 1998. Most are related to heat exposure.

CBP has not published a death tally for this year but said that the Border Patrol performed 14,278 “search-and-rescue missions” in a seven-month period through May, exceeding the 12,833 missions performed during the previous 12-month period and up from 5,071 the year before.

Yahoo News.

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Police Uncover List of 125 Lagos Traders Marked for Fraud, Kidnapping by Syndicates

Published

3 hours ago

September 12, 2026

Trends Admin

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai

Police Uncover List of 125 Lagos Traders Marked for Fraud, Kidnapping by Syndicates

No fewer than 125 business owners trading in some of Lagos’ busiest markets have been marked out as potential victims by two suspected fraud syndicates, in what the police have described as a disturbing web of calculated targeting. According to the police, members of the gangs studied successful traders, identified the commodities they dealt in, and devised different schemes to lure them into what appeared to be lucrative business deals. But the operation reportedly went beyond fraud. In some cases, victims were kidnapped and held hostage until their families or associates paid ransom. One such case involved a tyre merchant who, according to the police, was lured to the Aiyetoro-Itele area of Ogun State, where members of one of the syndicates held him captive and collected about N24 million in ransom before releasing him.

The development came to light following the arrest of seven suspected members of two fraud syndicates by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Lagos State Police Command, headed by CSP Sunday Cirman. The breakthrough reportedly came when one of the gangs lured a cloth seller to Ayobo, Lagos, apparently unaware that the police were already closing in. Three members of the gang were arrested in the ensuing operation, leading investigators to uncover a list containing the names of more than 125 business operators lined up for similar schemes. The suspects reportedly described themselves as “local 419” , a Nigerian slang for fraudsters who obtain money or property through deception. A police source said: “The two groups use different tactics but their mode of operation is that they target prospective investors or traders but ended up defrauding them in the process.”

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One of the suspects, 61-year-old Patrick Nwankwo, said the journey into the fraud business began, by his account, with a failed business, the death of his wife and the struggle to survive afterwards. He said: “I was into second hand cloth selling at the popular Katangua Market. At a time, the business failed and at that time, I lost my wife. I used the small money that was remaining with me to bury my late wife. I started as a ‘Caller’. A caller is a person who goes out to identify and speak with our prospective victims. We identify businessmen. After this, we lied to them that someone was in need of large supply of any particular commodity and for them to supply. We usually use bicycle spare parts as the needed commodity. Another member of the gang will serve as the receiver. Once they supplied those items to him, we will disappear from that address. Our base is in Ogun State but we target businessmen at popular markets, including Oshodi, Arena, Idumota, Alaba and Trade Fair markets. We already have our targets and what they sell. We don’t pray for gullible people to finish. Gullible people cannot finish in Nigeria. They want to get very rich quick and we take advantage of that.”

Sixty-year-old Emeka Obi also said he became involved after falling victim to another gang. According to him: “After serving my boss for six years and I had my own shop, somebody told me that they had drugs in large quantity but, when I got to where I was to get the drugs, I saw large quantity of American dollar. I didn’t know that they were fake. I was asked to deposit the N400,000 that was with me. That was a large money then in 1990. Initially, after collecting my money, they ran away but after they came back, I asked to join them and since then I have made more than the N400,000 that I lost to them. I used to be a caller but now I am old. I only allow them to use my office for their operations and I get only ten percent of whatever they get from their victims.”

Another suspect, 47-year-old Charles Okeke, a shoemaker in Aba, Abia State, said the journey followed a failed attempt to travel abroad. He said: “I joined the syndicate in 2018, when I was duped, while trying to travel out. One Mr Eze took me to Ghana. He promised to take me to Europe or America but abandoned me in Ghana. I started looking for something to do. I met some Nigerians there. I was into shoe making but the money was nothing to write home about. I met a boy, Chukwudi and a Ghanaian, Jojome. They invited me to join them and we duped people, under the guise of washing money for them. They lured people with gold. Later my mother died and I had to come back to Nigeria for her burial. When my family saw my situation, they advised that I should not return to Ghana. They said that I was not doing well. Because of hardship, my wife left with my two children. It was while I was looking for what to do that I met Emeka, through one of our town brothers, who was also into the fraud business but had quit.”

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Fifty-three-year-old Emmanuel Ekenta, an indigene of Awka, Anambra State, said he was once a successful businessman exporting plates to Ghana. “I was exporting plates to Ghana then and I was doing well. Problem started, when I was duped at the Togo border. Ghana people and some Nigerians duped me. They lied to me that they wanted to wash dollar for me in 2006. After I was duped, I requested to join them and they directed me to their boss in Lagos. He is the one who taught me how to dupe and I worked with him for six years,” he stated. Ekenta also described the roles played by different members of the group. He explained: “What we do is that one of us, usually the catcher, will pose as a sailor and a foreigner, who just arrived Lagos with goods for sale. We would then tell our prospective victim that he would make huge money by selling these non existent goods. After agreeing to sell the goods, the catcher will pretend to take them to the place, where the goods are kept but instead take them to our base, where we introduce them to dollar washing business. It is the normal thing of telling them that we have dollar but we need chemical to wash it. They will be asked to pay for the chemical. That is how we collect money from them. There is also usually the ‘sitter’, who sits at our base. He would corroborate whatever the ‘catcher’ already told the victims. He would lie to them. He would pretend to be the younger brother of the Customs officer that cleared the goods.”

Another suspect, 46-year-old Uchenna Paul, a former foodstuffs seller, said he joined the group after being duped of his master’s money while on a trip from Abia State to Lagos to buy stockfish. For the more than 125 business operators identified as potential targets, the arrests may have disrupted a carefully planned operation. Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, said the development reaffirmed Commissioner of Police, CP Fatai Tijani’s determination to make the state uninhabitable for criminals. She assured residents that the police would continue to intensify efforts to dismantle criminal networks operating across the state. According to the police, the arrests have provided investigators with further information on the activities of the syndicates, including their methods of identifying potential victims and the roles allegedly played by different members of the groups. Investigations are ongoing.

Police Uncover List of 125 Lagos Traders Marked for Fraud, Kidnapping by Syndicates

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How I Conspired with My Son’s Teacher to Stage His Kidnap for N15m Ransom

Published

3 hours ago

September 12, 2026

Trends Admin

How I Conspired with My Son’s Teacher to Stage His Kidnap for N15m Ransom

A 38-year-old mother of two, Catherine (surname withheld), has confessed to masterminding the fake kidnap of her own two-year-old son in Jos, Plateau State, in a desperate bid to extort N15 million ransom from her husband. Catherine and two suspected accomplices, Nansik and Emmanuel, were arrested by operatives of the Federal Intelligence Department-Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) following a reported case of child kidnapping. The Force Public Relations Officer, Ani Iniedu, confirmed the arrests in a statement. According to CSP Iniedu, Catherine conspired with her first child’s home lesson teacher, Nansik, to stage the kidnap of her two-year-old son, Jesse, and created the impression that the child had been genuinely abducted. To support the abduction plot, a third suspect, Emmanuel, was contacted and asked to make calls to the child’s grandmother to demand a N15 million ransom, while the child was kept at Nansik’s residence. “The child was subsequently located and safely rescued. After receiving medical attention, he was handed over to his biological father,” CSP Iniedu stated.

The Saturday Tribune learnt that before the toddler’s planned kidnap was carried out, the mother had given the teacher all necessary items, including nappies, beverages, and food items that the boy would need. It was further gathered that immediately Nansik arrived at her house with the boy, she allegedly removed the clothes he wore and dressed him in a girl’s outfit as a disguise so that he would not be recognised. Nansik also allegedly bought an unregistered SIM card, contacted Emmanuel, and asked him to call the boy’s grandmother to demand a N15 million ransom. Following the report of the case, the conversation between Catherine and Nansik was intercepted on 23 July, four days after the abduction. This led to Nansik’s tracking by the IRT operatives, her arrest, and the rescue of the toddler who, oblivious to what was happening, was found in a relaxed position at the planner’s house. Catherine and Emmanuel were also apprehended after Nansik’s confession.

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In an interview, Catherine, who hails from Nasarawa State, told the Saturday Tribune that she lived comfortably with her husband in Jos before she was badly influenced by Nansik. According to Catherine, “Nansik, who gave her name to us as Praise, has been my first child’s home lesson teacher for the past five years. Then, she was working at the school that my daughter was attending. She complained to me that my daughter was not catching up, asking my family to do something about it. She suggested an extra lesson for the child, which I discussed with my husband, and he agreed. Since then, she has been with us.” Narrating how her son’s staged kidnap was planned, Catherine said it began with an issue she had with her husband over money. “Towards the end of January, we went for a hangout as a couple. As we were talking, he asked me if I had money with me, and I replied in the negative. Then, he asked: ‘What if an emergency arises?’ I responded by saying he was always around to tackle any emergency, and he laughed over it. The following day, my husband transferred N200,000 into my account. When I saw it, I asked him what it was for, and he told me to keep it in case of any emergency, so that I would have money to use. But as for me, I have everything in my house. My husband provides everything for me. He even dropped an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card with cash in it for me to use anytime I needed anything. We call it utility card. So, when he gave me the N200,000, I paid it as a contribution into a cooperative group I belong to so that by the end of the year, I would use it to buy some things. On 21 June, I needed to go for my husband’s uncle’s child’s dedication, so, on 20 June, I told him I needed money to fuel the car while we were on the phone. He was not around then, and I didn’t have much fuel in my car. He asked me to use the utility card to purchase N50,000 fuel. Coincidentally, my neighbour was going to the same event, and she followed me. However, on getting to the filling station, the card couldn’t dispense money. I told my neighbour to help me out, with the thought that I would get the money from my husband to refund her, but he was very angry with me when I told him, saying that it was the reason he gave me N200,000 in case of any emergency. I needed to pay back the N50,000 I borrowed from my neighbour due to pressure, while attempts to use the utility card were unsuccessful as it was telling us ‘transaction failed’. My husband was shouting at me in a video call, asking for the reason I paid the money as a contribution. He angrily told me to pay back our neighbour’s N50,000 and send the remaining N150,000 to him. I started pleading with him, but he refused to listen to me. Nansik, who was in our house at that time overheard him because we placed the call on the speaker. At the end of the call, she asked why my husband was behaving rashly like he just did. I eventually got the money from my mother to pay my neighbour though I didn’t tell her what happened. After that, my husband kept calling me almost every day, asking for the remaining N150,000. I didn’t know where to get it from because the money he gave me was already in the contribution account. That was when Nansik told me of a woman, a firewood seller, who planned self-kidnap, and her husband paid ransom, which she shared with those she planned the kidnap with. She advised me to do the same thing so that I would have money and even help her because she gave birth to a child out of wedlock. I told her that if I tried it, my husband would believe it to be a deception and would not pay anything. However, she kept pestering me. Then in July, she said we should stage the kidnap of my son whom my husband loves so much. She said I should leave everything for her to handle. Initially, I said we should ask for N3 million as ransom, but she suggested a higher amount so that after negotiations, it would come to the amount I desired. When I expressed my fear that our actions would end my marriage if my husband got to know about my involvement, she swore that she would not disclose it even if she was caught.”

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On how the plan was carried out, Catherine said: “Nansik suggested my grandmother’s house which she said would be easier to come to because it was easily accessible. On 19 July, we went to Grandma’s house after leaving the church. Nansik brought a tricycle, and my son, who was very familiar with her, ran to meet her when he saw her outside. That was how he was taken away. Later, someone she contracted to join her called grandma, demanding N15 million. The day that she picked the child, I felt it deep within me. I went inside and cried, but nobody knew what was going on. I tried to call her, because the amount demanded was too high, but her lines were switched off. After some days, the matter escalated. When I eventually got her, she said she would come to my mother-in-law’s house where we stayed after the incident.”

“The police called me, asking me to come to the station, that they had rescued my child. When I got there, I saw Nansik and the child, and during the interrogation, she told them that I was the one who planned everything with her. At first, I was scared and denied it, but when she kept insisting and giving details of our conversation, I had no choice but to confess the truth.” When asked whether she realised the gravity of what she did, the mother of two replied: “I am very, very sorry. It was the work of the devil. I was overwhelmed and confused because of the pressure from my husband to return the money, and Nansik manipulated me into doing it. I deeply regret my actions.”

In her confession, 34-year-old Nansik admitted her participation in the kidnap of the child, but said she was drawn into a ransom plan by the child’s mother. Nansik, who claimed to be an NCE certificate holder and combines teaching with poultry farming and private lesson coaching, said the plan emerged from conversations with the child’s mother over her financial difficulties and alleged disagreement with her husband. Nansik also admitted that she eventually kidnapped the child and kept him while attempts were made to demand ransom from the father. According to her, the scheme began during one of her regular lesson visits to Catherine’s home when she complained about financial problems and pressure from her husband over money. Nansik said the conversation eventually shifted to ways of raising money, with Catherine saying that if she chose self-kidnap, her husband would not pay anything because of the issue they had. She added that it was Catherine who identified her son as the person her husband was particularly fond of and said he would be willing to pay if the boy was kidnapped. The suspect denied an allegation that she introduced the idea of kidnapping by citing a woman who had allegedly carried out a similar act. “There is no woman I know on this planet that’s selling firewood that kidnapped herself. That is a pure lie,” she said. Instead, Nansik claimed the child’s mother was the person who raised the possibility of kidnapping and cited a previous kidnapping incident within her family. “She even gave me an instance of the kidnap. She brought this issue. She gave me an instance of a kidnap in their own family, and the ransom was paid,” she said. The suspect said the plan became more concrete after Catherine allegedly provided her with food items and discussed how the child would be kept. “She gave me Milo, Golden Morn, and then rice,” Nansik told the Saturday Tribune. She said the plan was later activated after a telephone conversation on 16 July. According to her, Catherine wanted the operation carried out on a Sunday because the family was expected to travel to Abuja. Nansik further confessed that she was given N7,000 to facilitate the operation, including money for a SIM card and transportation to pick up the child. She said that she subsequently brought Emmanuel into the plan as she considered him close enough to approach for assistance. According to the suspect, Emmanuel initially agreed to participate but later backed out after discovering that the kidnapped child’s photograph had gone viral on social media when he saw photographs of the missing child circulating online. Asked who first demanded the ransom, Nansik identified Emmanuel, but stated that she subsequently made other ransom calls using the altered voice enabled by Emmanuel before he backed out.

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The third suspect in the staged kidnap ring, 32-year-old Emmanuel, admitted to his involvement in the kidnapping of Catherine’s child, saying he was asked to demand ransom, for which he was promised N2 million if the operation succeeded. The suspect, who is a painter and 400-level student of a state university in the North Central, said that Nansik contacted him and told him about the plan, initially describing it as a fake kidnapping. “She told me that I would be the one to speak for the ransom,” he said. Emmanuel said he demanded N15 million from the child’s grandmother, later reducing it to N10 million after she said the family could not afford the initial demand. He also confessed that attempts were made to disguise his voice to sound like a male Hausa-speaking kidnapper. However, he said he later became uncomfortable with the plan and withdrew after the voice-changing attempt failed. “I told Nansik that this thing was not working,” he said. The suspect stated further that he returned to his painting job but was arrested on Thursday, 23 July. The FPRO stated that the suspects would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations. The case highlights the growing trend of staged kidnappings in Nigeria, where individuals conspire with others to fake abductions in order to extort money from relatives.

How I Conspired with My Son’s Teacher to Stage His Kidnap for N15m Ransom

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Six Nigerians Extradited to US Over $6m Romance Scam

Published

3 hours ago

September 12, 2026

Trends Admin

Six Nigerians Extradited to US Over $6m Romance Scam

Six Nigerians Extradited to US Over $6m Romance Scam

Six Nigerian nationals accused of operating a sophisticated online romance scam that defrauded more than 100 American women of approximately $6 million (over N8 billion) have been extradited from South Africa to the United States to face trial. The suspects, arrested in Cape Town in 2021, are believed to be members of Black Axe, a notorious Nigerian organised crime syndicate linked to internet fraud, human trafficking and murder. They were handed over to officials from the FBI and the United States Secret Service at Cape Town International Airport on Friday. The extradition coincides with a significant diplomatic escalation between Nigeria and South Africa, as Nigeria’s National Assembly announced the suspension of all official visits to South Africa over recurring xenophobic attacks targeting Nigerians and other African nationals.

South Africa’s elite Hawks police unit confirmed that the six suspects were transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to the airport, where they were formally transferred to US custody. Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the men were wanted by US authorities on charges including wire fraud and money laundering. Upon arrival in the United States, they are expected to face federal indictments. The suspects allegedly targeted pensioners and businesspeople through “sophisticated online relationships used to defraud them of their money,” according to the Hawks. The total losses exceeded 100 million rand, equivalent to approximately $6 million or £5 million.

According to the US Justice Department, members of the group used social media websites, online dating platforms, and internet-based phone calls to identify and communicate with victims in the United States while operating under numerous aliases. A common narrative involved a purported online love interest travelling to Cape Town to work on a construction project. The victim would then be told that this person had been mugged and needed a phone and other electronic devices sent to South Africa. Victims were also persuaded to provide loans for purported crane repairs, legal fees from an accident at the site, or foreign taxes to release a larger sum of money owed to them. The group allegedly also used victims’ bank accounts and US-based financial accounts to transfer money to South Africa. In some cases, victims were convinced to open financial accounts in the US that the alleged conspirators were then permitted to use themselves.

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Black Axe began as a Nigerian student fraternity in the late 1970s called the Neo Black Movement of Africa. It has since evolved into a structured, violent criminal organisation frequently engaged in financial cybercrime. A BBC Eye investigation in 2021 described the syndicate as one of the most far-reaching and dangerous organised crime groups in the world. Nigeria remains its main recruitment ground, and many members are university-educated and inducted during their schooling. The FBI launched operations against Black Axe in November 2019 and September 2021, leading to charges against more than 35 individuals over alleged multimillion-dollar internet fraud. In 2021, the US Justice Department announced federal charges against eight men allegedly linked to the group, including conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft. Interpol has coordinated multiple operations targeting the network. In its most recent operation, conducted between November 2025 and June 2026, seven locations in South Africa linked to a syndicate involved in romance and investment scams were raided. The operation led to 39 arrests, the seizure of money, and the blocking of more than 250 bank accounts.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s National Assembly has resolved to suspend all official visits to South Africa and boycott South African-hosted or organised legislative activities until further notice. The decision, announced in a statement signed by Clerk to the National Assembly Kamoru Ogunlana, followed consultations between the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The National Assembly expressed “grave concern over the continuing reports of xenophobic attacks, violence, intimidation, destruction of property and other forms of hostility directed at Nigerians and other African nationals resident in the Republic of South Africa.” The leadership noted that despite repeated appeals by the Federal Government of Nigeria and other stakeholders to South African authorities, reports of such incidents had persisted.

The suspension covers all official visits to South Africa by the National Assembly, its committees, lawmakers, officials and staff, as well as participation in conferences, seminars, workshops, parliamentary meetings and legislative exchanges organised or hosted by South African legislative authorities. It also includes both physical and virtual participation in South African-hosted legislative programmes. The National Assembly emphasised that the decision was not intended to undermine longstanding diplomatic relations between Nigeria and South Africa, but rather constituted “a strong expression of concern over the safety, dignity and welfare of Nigerians living and conducting legitimate businesses in South Africa.” It called on the South African government to take “urgent and concrete measures” to protect Nigerians and other African nationals, prevent further xenophobic attacks, investigate reported incidents thoroughly, arrest suspected perpetrators and ensure those found culpable are prosecuted.

Nigerian officials have said at least 98 Nigerians have been killed in mob attacks and hate-related incidents in South Africa since 2022. This year alone, 1,695 Nigerians have been voluntarily evacuated amid xenophobia-related tensions, according to Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner in Pretoria. South African authorities have reported that more than 86,000 African migrants have been repatriated in recent months due to xenophobic violence, though figures released by migrants’ home countries put the total at approximately 178,000. Nigeria has evacuated 1,490 nationals through government-supported flights. The tensions are a recurring feature of Nigeria-South Africa relations, with major outbreaks occurring in 2008, 2015 and 2019. The worst episode in recent memory occurred in 2008, when more than 60 people lost their lives. In July, South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola led a delegation to Abuja for talks aimed at easing tensions, saying the South African government condemned “all forms of xenophobia.”