A chilling case of human trafficking has been uncovered in Lagos, as operatives of the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force apprehended a woman and her accomplice for their involvement in a syndicate that trafficked young girls to Mauritania for forced prostitution. Hobnob News reports on the disturbing details of this cross-border criminal operation.
The suspects, whose identities have been withheld, were arrested at their hideout in the Meiran area of Lagos State on March 22nd, following a targeted operation by the Zonal Intelligence Response Squad. Umma Ayuba, the Zonal Public Relations Officer, revealed that the syndicate operated in collaboration with accomplices based in Mauritania, exploiting vulnerable young women for sexual exploitation.
Upon their arrest and subsequent interrogation, the suspects confessed to their involvement in the trafficking ring. The primary suspect admitted to being recruited by a woman operating in Mauritania, a connection facilitated by another woman currently serving a jail sentence for similar offenses.
“The first suspect said she was introduced to a woman based in Mauritania by another woman, who has been prosecuted for the same offence and is currently serving a jail term,” Ayuba stated.
The woman confessed to receiving a commission of N50,000 for each girl she recruited and sent to Mauritania. Shockingly, among her victims was her own 19-year-old daughter. She further admitted to receiving over N500,000 in total from her Mauritanian contact.
“She said the woman in Mauritania contracted her to recruit young girls below the age of 22 to be used as sex workers there,” Ayuba disclosed. “She added that she received N50,000 as a commission for each girl sent to Mauritania. She confessed that, among the girls she recruited, was her 19-year-old daughter. She also admitted to receiving over N500,000 from the woman in Mauritania.”
The second suspect, also arrested in the operation, admitted to being recruited by the primary suspect to recruit girls under the guise of domestic staff for employment in Mauritania. However, she became suspicious when a girl she sent was rejected by the primary suspect. Through further questioning, she discovered the true nature of the operation: the girls were being trafficked for sexual exploitation.
“She said that, upon further questioning, she discovered the girls were to be used as sex workers and decided to withdraw from the business,” Ayuba explained. “She added that the only girl she sent to the first suspect was rejected due to her age and body size. That was when she realised something was wrong.”
Ayuba confirmed that the suspects will be charged in court following the completion of the ongoing investigation. This arrest follows a similar case in Ogun State, where a 28-year-old woman was apprehended for trafficking three girls to Libya.
These cases highlight the persistent and pervasive nature of human trafficking, both within Nigeria and across its borders. The authorities’ continued efforts to dismantle these criminal networks are crucial in protecting vulnerable young women from exploitation. Hobnob News will continue to monitor this case and report on any further developments.
