At least 15 young women have been rescued from a sex trafficking network in Ondo State, where they were allegedly lured with promises of legitimate jobs. The Ondo State Police Command confirmed that three suspects connected to the syndicate have been arrested, with efforts ongoing to apprehend others involved.
In a statement on Sunday, police spokesperson Olushola Ayanlade said the operation targeted a group exploiting women under the pretext of employment and social media content creation. Acting on credible intelligence, the Special Weapons and Tactics Unit arrested Jayeola Joshua from Alagbaka, Akure, along with two accomplices, while investigations continue to identify remaining members.
Preliminary inquiries revealed that the syndicate recruited victims from across Nigeria with false promises of domestic work, ushering services, and overseas placements. Once in Akure, the women, aged 20 to 26, were housed in an Alagbaka apartment that served as the base for their exploitation.
The victims were reportedly coerced into sending explicit photos and videos, which were then distributed to clients seeking sexual services. The main suspect allegedly received the largest share of the proceeds, while the scheme was disguised as producing “relationship content” on social media, masking its criminal intent.
Investigators noted that the apartment had been specifically rented to facilitate these activities, and police have summoned the landlords for questioning as part of the ongoing probe.
Human trafficking continues to be a significant issue in Nigeria. The International Organisation for Migration reports that around 11,000 Nigerian women were trafficked via the Mediterranean in 2016, up from 1,454 in 2014, mostly into sex work. A 2018 UNHCR report recorded about 18,000 Nigerian migrants arriving in Europe through the Mediterranean in 2017, while a 2019 UNDP report indicated that Nigerians made up 17 per cent of all African migrants to Europe.
