Police Arrest 3 Human Traffickers, Rescue Woman

Operatives of the Force Intelligence Department Special Tactical Squad (FID-STS) have arrested three suspected members of an international human trafficking network and rescued a 21-year-old Nigerian woman.

The victim was allegedly sold for N770,000 and forced into prostitution in Mali.

Her rescue followed an intelligence-led operation conducted between October 1 and October 27, 2026, after the victim’s sister reported her disappearance and suspected trafficking.

The victim, identified as Godiya Amos (not her real name), from Akwanga, Nasarawa State, was allegedly lured abroad in September with promises of lucrative employment but ended up in the hands of traffickers who sold her to operators of a prostitution network around artisanal gold-mining camps in Mali.

Police investigations revealed that one of the suspects, identified as Orgba Solomon, allegedly persuaded the victim to travel abroad for better employment opportunities before handing her over to an international trafficking network for CFA 420,000, equivalent to about N770,000.

Rather than secure the promised job, the suspect allegedly confiscated her mobile phone and travel documents before moving her through Lagos and the Republic of Benin to Mali using illegal border routes.

Her refusal to engage in prostitution reportedly attracted severe beatings, while her captors allegedly forced her to take a blood oath at a shrine before subjecting her to sexual exploitation.

The police said the operation led to the arrest of three suspects identified as Daniel Aondofa, 26; Solomon, 28; and Thankgod Ocho, 25. All three are indigenes of Benue State.

Solomon, described by the police as the alleged leader of the trafficking network operating from the Republic of Benin, reportedly returned to Nigeria on October 18 to recruit more young women for trafficking to Mali and Senegal.

His return provided an opportunity for operatives to track the network and make arrests.

The operation also resulted in the rescue of three other female victims identified as Martha Godiya, Amina Usman and Hadisa Yahaya, who have since been reunited with their families.

However, beyond the arrests and rescue, the police said investigators were confronted with another disturbing dimension of the trafficking operation following revelations by Godiya that about 42 other Nigerian women were still being held in a makeshift camp within a remote gold-mining settlement in Mali.

According to the victim, the women were subjected to forced prostitution and slave-like conditions, with their movements restricted and escape made extremely difficult.

The revelation has raised concerns over the fate of the women and the possible scale of the international trafficking network operating across Nigeria, Benin Republic and Mali.

Parading the suspects, Assistant Commissioner of Police Godfrey Victor said the three arrested suspects had confessed to their involvement in the criminal enterprise and provided information that assisted investigators in locating and rescuing the 21-year-old victim.

He said investigations were ongoing, while efforts had been intensified to apprehend other members of the network and facilitate the rescue of additional victims.

Victor said the operation was part of the efforts of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, to strengthen the protection of lives and property, particularly vulnerable persons.

He urged members of the public to be cautious of suspicious overseas employment offers and report suspected trafficking activities to the nearest police station.