The Oyo State Police Command on Sunday revealed it had apprehended 19 individuals, including 14 men and five women, all young Ghanaian nationals, over trafficking activities in the state.
In a statement issued by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, in Ibadan, the suspects were arrested at Kajorepo community in the Akinyele Local Government Area.
He explained that the arrests followed credible intelligence about suspicious activity at a building where the victims were housed.
Osifeso stated that in line with standard procedures, the victims had been transferred to the Nigerian Immigration Service for further investigation.
“The state command proudly announces the successful completion of a targeted operation on July 2, 2025, based on credible intelligence related to suspicious activities at a building in the Kajorepo area of Akinyele Local Government Area.
“Around 5:30 pm, the state Intelligence Department, with the invaluable support of tactical command teams, executed a search warrant at the site, which had been securely locked from the outside.
“This operation led to the arrest of 19 individuals, comprised of 14 men and five women, all young nationals from Ghana.
“During the investigation, it became clear that these individuals had been lured to Nigeria with false promises of job opportunities, falling prey to a manipulative scheme by unknown perpetrators who exploited them for financial gain.
“The victims provided critical information about their ordeals, significantly aiding the ongoing investigations. The victims have since been handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Service for further investigations and to possibly reunite them with loved ones back in their country.”
He emphasized that the command remained focused on identifying those responsible for the trafficking network and would continue gathering intelligence to track down the perpetrators.
Osifeso assured the public of the police command’s commitment to maintaining safety and security for all residents and encouraged citizens to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activities directly to the authorities.
