7 suspects nabbed for smuggling, human trafficking
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has arrested five persons for allegedly attempting to smuggle various contraband items into the country from Benin Republic.
The suspects were arrested by operatives of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Ikeja in the border towns in Lagos and Ogun states respectively. Items seized from them included bags of rice, vegetable oil, bales of second hand clothes, shoes and bags and used vehicles also known as ‘tokunbo’ cars.
Briefing news men yesterday in Lagos, the Controller, FOU Zone A, Mohammed Uba, said the arrest and seizures were made during routine patrol by officers from the unit.
He said during the raid, the officers were able to intercept various contraband with duty paid value of N2.557 billion.
Similarly, two men, Thomas Emmanuel, 29, and Okoh John, 34, have been arrested by operatives of the Federal Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos Command for conspiracy, human trafficking and running of a prostitution ring. The suspects were said to have recruited their victims who were mainly teenage girls from Calabar, Cross River State to Lagos for prostitution where they allegedly kept them in a hotel at Ige Street, Iyana Ipaja Lagos.
The suspects were arrested on March 10, 2018 alongside four teenage girls when the operatives stormed the location. One of the girls, 15-year-old Gloria (surname withheld) said she was brought to the said address some weeks ago by her 25-year-old sister, Blessing.
She said, “My elder sister brought me here to sell drinks. She handed me over to Monica Ita, who is 25 years old. Then she left for Calabar.”
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, said the arrest of Gloria led to the rescue of other girls who were being used for prostitution at the hotel. However, one of the girls, Destiny (surname withheld) whose age was given as 19 claimed she was 28 years old, adding that she came to Lagos to hustle. “I’m not underage. I have been doing it for four months and I get clients. I sleep with three men each day. Each client is N1,000. So, I get a total of N3,000 daily,” she said.