The Oyo State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has apprehended four individuals suspected of human trafficking and successfully rescued nine victims who had been exploited as prostitutes within the state.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, in addition to these arrests, the command reported the recovery of fifty-five 30-litre kegs of petrol believed to have been smuggled.
The contraband was discovered around Gwagwasu Moore Road in Kishi, located in the northern part of Oyo State.
During a press briefing held on Friday at the command’s headquarters in Ibadan, NSCDC Commandant, Augustine Padonu, revealed that the arrests were made by the command’s Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Protection Unit.
The operation took place on Tuesday at a hotel in the Apata area of Ibadan, where the suspects were detained on charges of trafficking for prostitution.
Among the rescued were seven adult women and two minors.
Padonu elaborated that three of the arrested suspects were women who had been luring underage girls from rural areas into prostitution.
The fourth suspect, a male, was the hotel manager who had allegedly collaborated with the female suspects to exploit these trafficked minors as sex workers.
“The Oyo State Command of the NSCDC has made a significant breakthrough in its fight against human trafficking and smuggling of petroleum products,” Padonu stated, emphasizing the command’s dedication to protecting vulnerable individuals, especially children, from exploitation. He also noted the importance of safeguarding the economy from illegal activities.
Regarding the smuggled petrol, Padonu explained that the command’s monitoring team had received credible intelligence on July 30th about the smuggling activities in Kishi town and responded swiftly.
The operation led to the discovery of 55 kegs of petrol hidden in a forested area. However, the suspects involved in the smuggling managed to flee upon sighting the NSCDC operatives and remain at large.
“We are intensifying our efforts to locate and apprehend the suspects,” Padonu assured, urging the public to provide any information that could assist in curbing the smuggling of petroleum products. “NSCDC remains committed to protecting vulnerable individuals, especially children, from exploitation and abuse. We are resolute in our fight against smuggling of petroleum products across the border and will continue to take decisive actions to protect our commonwealth,” he added.
During the briefing, one of the underage victims of human trafficking disclosed that she was pregnant and had been forced to earn N10,000 daily, of which she was only allowed to keep N2,000, the rest being taken by the suspect who had brought her from the village.
