Police bust human trafficking syndicate, rescue 14 victims in Ondo

By Boye Oyeyemi –

The Ondo State Police Command has recorded a major breakthrough in the fight against human trafficking with the arrest of several suspects and the rescue of 14 victims across parts of the state.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal.

The police said the operation followed a report by a Togolese national, Meale Yaoili, who escaped from a trafficking syndicate after being lured into Nigeria with promises of employment in Canada.

According to the command, the victim alleged that his belongings were seized on arrival and that he was detained after paying 800,000 CFA francs to the syndicate, prompting swift police action that led to the arrest of six suspects and the rescue of three victims.

In a related operation, police said a case initially reported as banditry in Oba-Ile was later uncovered to involve illegal immigrants from Chad, allegedly recruited and harboured by a suspect identified as Umaru Baba.

Investigations revealed that the suspects were part of a trans-border trafficking network that brought 11 Chadian nationals into Nigeria under the guise of online marketing jobs, with the victims later treated as trafficked persons.

The command said all suspects are currently in custody, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend fleeing members of the syndicate and trace landlords linked to properties used for the illegal activities.

Lawal warned landlords to conduct proper background checks on tenants, stressing that negligence would attract legal consequences, while assuring residents of the command’s commitment to combating human trafficking and other trans-border crimes.