Police Arrest Suspected Traffickers, Rescue 10 Teenage Girls

No fewer than 10 teenage girls who were allegedly being trafficked to some West African countries for prostitution have been rescued by the Lagos State Police Command.

Benjamin Hundeyin, the Command Public Relations Officer, confirmed this on Thursday while briefing newsmen on the success of the operation.

Hundeyin said that the crack squad of the command located in the Gbagada area of Lagos got an intelligence report that a syndicate, that specialised in trafficking underaged girls, was planning to move some girls out.

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“The squad went into action to track the activities of the syndicate, and within one week, two suspects were arrested, while 10 young girls, between ages 16 years and 23 years were rescued.

“The girls were brought by the suspects from Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Ogun, and Benin Republic,” Hundeyin said.

He said that the police operatives intercepted the suspects at the point of departure at Mazamaza area of Mile 2 – Badagry Expressway.

He said that the families of the girls had been contacted, adding that they would be reunited with their families as soon as possible.

Hundeyin said the police were on the trail of other suspects, stressing that those arrested would be charged to court on the completion of the investigation.

Some of the girls, who spoke to newsmen during the briefing, said they were promised lucrative jobs in some West African countries.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) observed that two of the girls were of the same parents from Imo, while two others were also of the same parents from Abia.

One of the suspects (name withheld), who claimed to be an international driver, said a Ghana-based Nigerian woman requested that he bring two girls for her, a job he had been doing for about two years.

He said he had carried many girls more than four times to the female trafficker who operated a restaurant in Ghana, stressing that he was aware that some of the girls were being used for prostitution.

The suspect claimed he always paid 1,000 CFA Franc to get each girl across the Benin Republic Border, while he paid N1,000 to Nigeria Immigration officials to take the water route.