15 Girls Rescued From Sex Trafficking Syndicate In Ondo

At least 15 young girls were rescued by the Ondo State Police Command after being allegedly lured into sex trafficking under the pretense of job opportunities.

The command, in a statement issued on Sunday by its spokesperson, Olushola Ayanlade, said three suspects linked to the trafficking syndicate had been arrested.

According to the statement, “The Ondo State Police Command has dismantled a notorious sex trafficking syndicate exploiting young women under the guise of job recruitment and social media content creation.”

Ayanlade explained that operatives of the command’s Special Weapons and Tactics Unit acted on credible intelligence to arrest the suspects.

“Acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Command’s SWAT Unit arrested one Jayeola Joshua, male, of Alagbaka, Akure, along with two others, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining accomplices—signalling the Command’s unwavering commitment to protecting vulnerable citizens,” the statement read.

The statement added that preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate lured victims from different parts of the country with false promises of lucrative employment, including domestic work, ushering services, and overseas placements.

“Upon arrival in Akure, 15 victims, aged between 20 and 26, were accommodated in an apartment in Alagbaka, which became the operational base for the illicit activities,” the command stated.

According to Ayanlade, the arrangement not only enabled exploitation but also exposed how organised criminal elements prey on the desperation of young women seeking legitimate opportunities.

He noted that additional investigations showed that the victims were manipulated into sending nude photos and videos, which were then sent to clients procuring sexual services.

“The principal suspect reportedly received the largest share of the proceeds, while the operation was disguised as producing ‘relationship content’ on social media — misleading the public and concealing the criminal intent,” the statement added.

The police disclosed that the evidence gathered also indicated that the apartment used for the operation was specifically rented to facilitate the illegal activities.

The command added that the Ondo State Police boss had directed that the landlords be invited for questioning as part of the ongoing investigation.

Human trafficking remains a growing concern in Nigeria. According to the International Organisation for Migration, approximately 11,000 Nigerian women were trafficked via the Mediterranean Sea in 2016—a sharp rise from 1,454 in 2014—most of whom were forced into sex work.

A 2018 UNHCR report also noted that about 18,000 Nigerian migrants arrived in Europe through the Mediterranean in 2017.

By 2019, the United Nations Development Programme reported that Nigerians accounted for 17 per cent of all African migrants to Europe.