The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Oyo State command, has arrested a man and three women on suspicion of human trafficking.
The syndicate was reportedly involved in trafficking girls from Akwa-Ibom and Cross River states for prostitution in Ibadan.
At a press briefing on Friday at the command headquarters in Agodi, Ibadan, Commandant Augustine Padonu stated that nine young girls, aged between 16 and 22, some of whom were already pregnant, were rescued from the syndicate.
Padonu revealed that the suspects and the victims would first be transferred to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). The suspects would later be brought back to face arraignment by the NSCDC.
In a separate development, operatives from the command intercepted 55 jerry cans, each containing 30 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, which was about to be smuggled into the Republic of Benin.
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The Commandant said that on July 30, the command’s Monitoring Team received credible intelligence about smuggling activities involving petroleum products around Gwagwasu Moore Road in the Kisi area of the state.
“The operatives acted swiftly on this information and conducted a response operation in the area,” he said.
“During this operation, the team discovered 55 kegs of 30 liters each, filled with PMS, hidden in the forest.
“This discovery underscores the ongoing challenges posed by smuggling petroleum products across the border, which not only undermines the economy but also poses risks to public safety.
“However, the suspects involved in this crime fled the scene upon sighting our operatives and are currently at large. We are intensifying our efforts to locate and apprehend these individuals.”