The Ondo State Police Command has apprehended three suspected human traffickers led by a Togolese and rescued several victims in Akure, the state capital.

The command disclosed development in a statement issued on Tuesday by its spokesperson, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, and made available to journalists in Akure.

Abayomi said the arrest followed an intense investigation into a suspected trafficking syndicate operating at the Oda town in Akure South Local Government Area of the state.

According to him, trouble began in June 2024 when a 30-year-old Togolese national, John Apiah, relocated to Oda to work as a hair stylist.

He said Apiah was said to have met two young women, Blessings Assiah, 22, and Laro Larisa, 21, with whom he later rented a one-room and parlour self-contained apartment belonging to a 40-year-old landlord, Owoeye.

Abayomi said that police investigations revealed that Apiah allegedly used the two women to lure unsuspecting victims with false promises of securing international passports and American visas.

He noted that the suspects were said to have collected 600,000 CFA from Charity Paketerima, 27; 500,000 CFA from Mohammed Assiah, 25; and another 500,000 CFA from Kanate Dekadja, 35, under the guise of processing travel documents.

Abayomi stressed that after collecting the money, the victims were lodged in a hotel before being moved to the rented apartment in Oda town, where they were allegedly kept under suspicious conditions.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that sometime in June 2024, one John Apiah, male, aged 30 years, a Togolese national, came to Oda Town, Akure to work as hair stylist, where he met two young women identified as Blessings Assiah, female, aged 22 years, and Laro Larisa, female, aged 21 years. The trio subsequently rented a one room and palour apartment from one Owoeye, male, aged 40 years, in Oda Town.

“Further investigation showed that John allegedly used the two women to lure unsuspecting victims with promises of procuring international passports and American visas. In the course of this fraudulent operation, the suspect reportedly collected the sum of 600,000 CFA from Charity Paketerima, female, aged 27 years; 500,000 CFA from Mohammed Assiah, male, aged 25 years; and 500,000 CFA from Kanate Dekadja, male, aged 35 years.

“After collecting the money, the victims were initially lodged in a hotel before being moved to the suspects’ rented apartment in Oda Town, where they were kept under suspicious circumstances.

“Acting on credible intelligence, the Police promptly swung into action, leading to the rescue of the victims and the arrest of the suspects,” he said in the statement.

Reacting, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Adebowale Lawal, warned landlords and property owners to always conduct proper background checks on prospective tenants to prevent their properties from being used for criminal activities.

He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating human trafficking and other trans-border crimes, while urging residents to support the police with credible information to enhance security across the state. (The Nation)