Ondo sex trafficking syndicate rescued 15 girls
Authorities in Ondo State Police Command have dismantled a sex-trafficking syndicate that had been operating in the state, rescuing 15 young women aged between 20 and 26 from an apartment in the Alagbaka area of Akure.
The syndicate is reported to have lured the victims from various parts of the country under false promises of lucrative employment such as domestic work, ushering jobs and overseas placements. Once in Akure, the victims were allegedly confined in a flat and coerced into producing nude images and videos, which were then distributed to paying clients.
During the operation, three suspects were arrested including one identified as Jayeola Joshua of Alagbaka, while efforts to apprehend other fleeing members of the ring continue. The flat was found to have been rented specifically for the illicit activities, prompting the police to invite the property landlord for questioning under suspicion of complicity.
The rescued victims were taken to the Police Hospital in Akure for medical attention, psychological counselling and support toward reintegration into society. The case has been transferred to the Command’s Gender Desk for continued investigation and victim-rehabilitation.
In a statement, the Commissioner of Police reiterated the Command’s zero-tolerance policy on human trafficking and called on parents, guardians and the public to verify job offers, recruitment agents and social-media content-creation schemes before allowing young persons to travel or engage in such work.
