A 37-year-old alleged female human trafficker, Gift Rita has been arrested by agents from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Kwara State, North Central Nigeria.
The Defence corps also rescued four under-aged girls who were being trafficked from Port Harcourt to Ilorin to be abused as sex slaves or prostitutes.
The state’s NSCDC Commandant, Makinde Iskil Ayinla, announced this breakthrough in a statement released by the Command’s spokesman, Babawale Zaid Afolabi .
The Commandant disclosed that the state command was alerted by a concerned citizen of a suspected case of human trafficking involving four under aged girls (names withheld) with ages ranging from 15 to 16 years who were brought to Ilorin from PortHarcourt for alleged purpose of using them as sex slaves or prostitutes.
He said operatives of the human trafficking unit of the Command swung into action and rounded them up at the point of entry.
The Commandant said “one Gift Rita, 37, who was suspected to be the trafficker, has been arrested adding that the four victims and the suspect, have been handed over to the operatives of the NAPTIP, Kwara State Command for further action and possible prosecution of the suspect.
The State Commander of NAPTIP, Saadu Mustapha, said that the arrest of the suspect and the victims was successful as a result of their collaboration with NSCDC.
Mustapha promised that the Agency would rehabilitate the victims and reunite them with their families, while the suspect would be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted, depending on the level of involvement.
Meanwhile, the Kwara State NAPTIP Commander has appealed to parents and guardians to take good care of their female wards adding that the victims will be profiled and their families will be contacted after necessary procedures.
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