Jude Diugwu
The Oyo State Police Command has uncovered a human trafficking syndicate in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, rescuing 83 individuals and a child during a major operation.
According to information made available by the Command, the victims were rescued from a residential building in the Orogun area of the city, where they had allegedly been held for an undisclosed period.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the victims, believed to be nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo, were brought into Nigeria under false pretences of securing employment opportunities.
The police said early findings also indicated that the traffickers extorted large sums of money, reportedly in United States dollars, from the victims’ parents and relatives as part of an elaborate and deceitful scheme.
The rescued individuals were said to have been sheltered at the Police Headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, where authorities are conducting further investigations to determine the full circumstances surrounding the case.
The police assured the public that the matter would be thoroughly investigated and that all those found culpable would be brought to justice.
