The Zone 2 Police Command in Onikan, Lagos, has apprehended a notorious syndicate accused of trafficking young girls from Nigeria to Mauritania for prostitution and sexual exploitation.
Umma Ayuba, Zonal Public Relations Officer, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos.
She revealed that the suspects were arrested on March 22 at the command’s base in the Meiran area of the state.
According to the statement, the operation was carried out by the Zonal Intelligence Response Squad, led by Francis Kpoughul, who stormed the syndicate’s hideout and arrested two key suspects.
The Police said one of the suspects, during interrogation, confessed to being introduced to a Mauritania-based woman by another trafficker who is currently serving a jail term for the same offense.
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“She admitted that the woman in Mauritania hired her to recruit young girls under the age of 22 to work as sex workers,” it said.
The Command also noted that the suspect further disclosed that she received ₦50,000 as commission for each girl trafficked to Mauritania and confessed to recruiting her 19-year-old daughter among the victims.
“She admitted to receiving over ₦500,000 in total from the Mauritanian contact.”
“Meanwhile, the second suspect confessed to being recruited by the first suspect to find girls to work as domestic staff in Mauritania. However, she said that when she discovered the real intention was prostitution, she withdrew from the deal.”
“She narrated that the only girl she sent to the first suspect was rejected due to her age and body size, which raised her suspicions about the syndicate’s activities,” the statement reads.
The Command confirmed that investigations are ongoing and that the suspects will be charged in court upon the conclusion of the probe.
The police have reiterated their commitment to combating human trafficking and urged members of the public to be vigilant and report suspicious activities to the authorities.
