A 35-year-old woman, Comfort Innocent, who has been described as human trafficking kingpin, has been arrested by Ogun State Police Command.
The suspect has, however, confessed that she had been involved in the illicit business with her husband based in Italy for years.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi had disclosed in a statement that Innocent was arrested by the police on December 22, 2020, in connection with the abduction and trafficking of two under-aged girls.
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Reporters At Large learnt that the suspect was apprehended after two women, Oluwaseun Aduratola and Sakirat Fasasi, both residents of Siun town in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of the state, reported at Owode Egba police station that the suspect abducted their daughters, identified as Blessing (15) and Hasisat (16) (surnames withheld).
According to the PPRO, the mothers further explained that the suspect was about taking the two girls to Libya, where they would be forced into prostitution.
“On the strength of the report, the Divisional Police Officer, Owode Egba Division, CSP Mathew Ediae quickly swung into action with his detectives, and through intelligence-driven investigation, they succeeded in arresting the suspect,” Oyeyemi said.
When interrogated, the suspect had reportedly confessed to being a human trafficker, disclosing that she had been in the business for a long time.
She also opened up to the police that her husband was based in Italy, while she stays in Nigeria to recruit young girls and send them to her husband in Italy, en route Libya.
She further disclosed that the intention was to use them for prostitution.
Speaking on the latest two girls, Innocent disclosed that they had been taken to Kaduna State, from where they would be transported to Libya.
The PPRO, however, said that the two girls had been rescued from Kaduna by the police.
The police spokesman added that the state Commissioner of Police, Edward Awolowo Ajogun had ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Labour Unit of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation.
