The Nigerian police force has arrested a woman who has been alleged of an attempt to traffic three young women from Kaduna State to the Ivory Coast after deceiving them with promises of legitimate employment.
The police accused the female suspect of, under false pretence, promising the teenage victims of ages of 18 and 20, to leave their homes with assurances that she had secured restaurant jobs for them, after which the tables turned as the alleged human trafficker informed them of her plans to involve them into prostitution.
It was gathered on Thursday that the incident was reported to the police after the victims arrived in the Ajegunle area of Lagos on May 23, 2026.
Following the complaint, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, ordered the transfer of the case from the Tolu Division to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Yaba for a detailed investigation.
According to a police source involved in the case, the victims were unaware of the alleged plan before embarking on the journey.
The source narrated that trouble began when one of the young women discovered the true nature of the trip and refused to participate.
The source added that the suspect allegedly attempted to continue with plans to move the girls abroad and had taken steps to facilitate their departure from the country, after which one of the victims approached the police authorities in Lagos and reported the matter.
Upon reporting the matter, police detectives subsequently launched an investigation that led to the arrest of the suspect.
Furthermore, the source disclosed that efforts are ongoing to rescue the remaining victims allegedly being held by an accomplice and to identify other individuals connected to the suspected human trafficking network.
The source added that the case involves allegations bordering on conspiracy, deception and human trafficking, with investigators working to uncover the full extent of the operation.
According to the source, the probe is being handled by the Anti-Human Trafficking/Gender Unit of the SCID under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the department, Dayo Akinbisehin.