By Christopher Oji
The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a couple, Godday and Ebere Samuel for alleged human trafficking.
They were picked for trying to traffic a 16 years old girl from Nigeria to Burkina Faso.
According to the police,the suspects were arrested following a report lodged at Atan Ota Divisional Headquarters by one Adeniji Okikiolu, who reported that his 16 years old daughter, Maria Adeniji, suddenly disappeared from home on the October 16 2022, and while a search party was organized to look for her, he was informed by someone that the missing girl was seen with Ebere Samuel on the previous day.
Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO),SP Abimbola Oyeyemi,”upon the information, Ebere Samuel was invited to the station, but she vehemently denied ever seeing the missing girl on or before that day.
“Not satisfied with her plea of alibi, she was subsequently detained at the station . But surprisingly, when her husband was contacted, the husband confessed to have taken the missing Maria to somewhere in Lagos for onward transportation to Burkina faso, where she would be engaged as a maid to one of their associates.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the couple has been into the business of human trafficking for sometime now and that their accomplices are in Burkina faso”.
Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police, Mr. Lanre Bankole has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to Anti Human Trafficking and Child Labour Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department, for discreet investigation and diligent prosecution.