Operatives of the Ogun State Community, Social Orientation and Safety Corps, So-Safe Corps, have rescued a Ghanaian woman and arrested eleven suspects linked to a human trafficking and fraud syndicate operating in the Igbesa area of the state.
The State Commander of the Corps, Commander (Dr.) Soji Ganzallo, disclosed this in a statement released by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Assistant Commander of Corps (ACC) Adegunwa Adegbuyi.
According to Ganzallo, the breakthrough followed a distress call received around 3:20pm on Monday, from a 38-year-old Ghanaian hairdresser, identified as Fosuaa Sarah, who alleged that she had been deceived into coming to Nigeria under the guise of securing employment.
He said the undercover officer attached to the Corps swiftly alerted the Divisional Officer, Igboko-Igbesa Divisional Headquarters, CSC Ibrahim Kamal, who immediately sought backup from the Ado-Odo/Igbesa Area Commander, ACC Oluti Kehinde David.
A team of officers was quickly mobilized to the crime scene at Idoye Idomaroko, Lusada, Igbesa, where eleven Ghanaian suspects were apprehended. They include Francis Jesse, identified as the team leader; Doris Asomaning, who is the victim’s sister; Mavis Moro, Antwi Silas, Seth Owusu, Spendylove Osei, Gracious Tetteh, Veronica Kramah, Samuel Ellael, Salifu Iddrisu, and Ruth Mensah.
During interrogation, the victim narrated that her sister, Doris, had contacted her from Italy in 2024, promising to help her secure a lucrative job abroad. She said she was later instructed to travel to Nigeria, where the syndicate collected Thirty-Eight Thousand Cedis from her under the pretense of processing travel documents.
“After arriving in Nigeria, my bag and phones were taken from me. I was told not to worry about the nature of the job. Later, I discovered they were involved in fraud and I refused to join. That was when I decided to escape and call for help,” Sarah recounted.
Commander Ganzallo explained that the suspects, during questioning, confessed to being lured into Nigeria through similar deceptive means, with the victim being the latest target before the syndicate was dismantled.
He commended the officers for their swift and coordinated operation, adding that several exhibits were recovered from the suspects, including three laptops, sixteen phones, five power banks, six chargers, and one laptop charger.
“All the suspects and recovered items have been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force, Idi-Oke Division, for further investigation and possible prosecution,” Ganzallo said.
The Commander reaffirmed the Corps’ commitment to combating human trafficking and other criminal activities in the state, assuring residents that Ogun would not be a safe haven for syndicates involved in such crimes.
