Oyo State Police Command has arrested 19 Ghanaians at the Kajorepo area of Akinyele Local Government Area in Ibadan, for being part of a human trafficking ring.
The Public Relations Officer of the command, CSP Adewale Osifeso, who spoke on the arrest in a statement, said that it was carried out on July 2 based on credible intelligence related to suspicious activities at a building in the area.
The PPRO stated that this led to the execution of a search warrant by the State Intelligence Department, supported by tactical command teams, at about 5:30 p.m., where they discovered the door of the house securely locked from outside.
“This operation led to the arrest of 19 individuals, comprising 14 men and five women, all young nationals from Ghana.
“During the investigation, it became clear that these individuals had been lured to Nigeria with false promises of job opportunities, falling prey to a manipulative scheme by unknown perpetrators who exploited them for financial gain.
“The victims provided critical information about their ordeals, significantly aiding the ongoing investigations.
“Following established protocols, the victims have since been handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service, for further investigations and to possibly reunite them with loved ones back in their country,” CSP Osifeso said.
He stated further that the Command was making efforts to gather more intelligence, uncover the identities of those behind the activities and locate them.
Assuring the community of the Command’s commitment to safety and security for all residents, the PPRO urged the public to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activities directly to the police authorities.
