Police bust child trafficking syndicate in Lagos, rescue 11 victims

The Lagos State Police Command has dismantled a suspected child trafficking syndicate and arrested four of its members accused of recruiting and transporting young Nigerians to Ghana for prostitution.

Police spokesman Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the development in a statement issued on Friday in Lagos, noting that the suspects, aged between 31 and 54, were apprehended at different locations across the state.

According to Hundeyin, the breakthrough came on August 13, when operatives of the Ilemba Hausa Police Division intercepted one of the suspects — an alleged okada operator who also acted as a recruiter.

He was caught with a 15-year-old girl, who was reportedly on the verge of being trafficked to Ghana for sex work.

The case was immediately transferred to the command’s Special Squad I, which launched a coordinated intelligence-led operation that led to the arrest of three additional suspects linked to the network.

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Hundeyin disclosed that further investigations resulted in the safe rescue of 10 more victims, aged between 21 and 29 years, who had been targeted by the syndicate for trafficking.

“All rescued persons are now in protective custody, receiving medical and psychological support, while efforts are ongoing to reunite them with their families,” Hundeyin stated.

He added that the four suspects remain in custody and are actively assisting police investigators to expose the full scope of the trafficking ring, including its funding sources and international collaborators.

“Investigation revealed that all apprehended suspects are part of the criminal network that recruits and traffics young women from Nigeria to Ghana,” Hundeyin said.

The arrests come amid growing concerns over the rising incidence of human trafficking in Nigeria, particularly involving young women and girls lured with promises of employment abroad only to be forced into prostitution.

Security experts have praised the police operation but stressed the need for stronger border surveillance, stricter penalties for traffickers, and sustained public enlightenment campaigns to discourage vulnerable youths from falling prey.