Police Dismantle Human Trafficking Syndicate, Arrest Cult Member
Police in Lagos and Ogun states have cracked down on crime, arresting a suspected cult member and a human trafficking syndicate.
The operation, carried out by the Zonal Dragon Squad II, led to the recovery of arms, ammunition, and multiple voter cards.
The spokesperson for the command, Ayuba Umma, in a statement on Tuesday, said the arrests were made following intelligence reports on criminal activities in Lagos and Ogun states
The suspected cult member, 54-year-old Orekoya Abayomi, was arrested on March 19, during a raid on a hideout in Ijebu-Ife, Ogun State. Police found a locally made single-barrel pistol, six live cartridges, and 21 suspected fake voter cards at his residence.
In a separate operation on March 22, police dismantled a human trafficking network in the Ipaja/Ayobo area of Lagos State. Two women, Stella Edem and Susan Michael, were arrested for allegedly trafficking young girls to Mauritania for sex work.
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According to the spokesperson, the team stormed a location in Command Meiran, leading to the arrest of two female suspects, Stella Edem and Susan Michael.
She stated that Edem reportedly confessed to being involved in trafficking young girls to Mauritania for sex work.
“She disclosed that she was introduced to the illicit trade by Rosemary Isaiah Otobong, who has already been convicted for similar crimes. Edem admitted that Anabel, her Mauritania-based contact, paid her ₦50,000 per girl she recruited, including her own 19-year-old daughter. Over time, she claimed to have earned more than ₦500,000 from the scheme.
“Her accomplice, Susan Michael, confessed to being initially misled into recruiting young girls for domestic work in Mauritania. However, after discovering that the victims were instead being used for sex work, she withdrew from the operation. She added that she had only sent one girl to Edem, who was rejected due to age and body size, which raised her suspicions about the true nature of the business,” the statement added.
The police confirmed that investigations are still ongoing and the suspects will be charged in court upon completion of the inquiry.
