The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) Zone 2 Command has arrested a woman and her accomplice for allegedly trafficking young girls, including her own daughter, to Mauritania for commercial sex work in exchange for N50,000.
The Zonal Public Relations Officer, Umma Ayuba, confirmed the arrest in a statement on Tuesday, revealing that the suspects were apprehended at their hideout in the Meiran area of Lagos State on March 22.
Investigations uncovered that the syndicate worked in collaboration with accomplices in Mauritania, deceiving victims with false promises before trafficking them. Upon their arrest and interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed to their roles in the illegal operation.
The statement read: “Operatives of the Zonal Intelligence Response Squad, led by SP Francis Kpoughul, stormed their base, leading to the apprehension of two suspects.”
According to Ayuba, the primary suspect disclosed that she was introduced to a woman in Mauritania by another trafficker, who has since been prosecuted and is currently serving a jail term.
The suspect admitted to receiving N50,000 for each girl she trafficked, including her 19-year-old daughter. “She revealed that the woman in Mauritania had instructed her to recruit girls under the age of 22 for sex work and had paid her over N500,000 in total for multiple victims,” Ayuba added.
The second suspect allegedly admitted that she was initially tasked with recruiting girls for domestic work in Mauritania. However, she became suspicious after one of the victims she recruited was rejected by the primary suspect.
“She explained that when the girl she recruited was turned down due to her age and body size, she questioned the first suspect further. This was when she realized the true nature of the operation and decided to withdraw from it,” Ayuba stated.
Authorities are continuing their investigations into the trafficking ring, ensuring that all accomplices are brought to justice.
