YUSUF MOHAMMED
Police operatives from the Lagos State Command have arrested two men, Kunle Lasis and his accomplice identified as Tayo, for their alleged involvement in human trafficking by smuggling six underaged girls to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the suspects landed in trouble after they allegedly conspired and trafficked a 17-year old girl, Miss Ibrahim Opeyemi, to Abidjan for child labour before the girl’s grandmother got to know and reported to the members of Human Rights Advocacy group, which then involved the Police at Oko Oba Division for prompt action.
The Police intelligence team first arrested Tayo, who is a mechanic and detained him at the Station for interrogation over the conduct. He then confessed and informed the Police that the role he played was to introduce Opeyemi to the agent.
He then took the Police to Ikotun area of Lagos State, where his accomplice, Lasis, was also arrested and detained for interrogation and he was said to have made confessional statements on his role as well.
During further interrogation, Lasis informed the Police that he sent Opeyemi to their female partner in Abidjan for child labour and promised to contact her in order to bring back Opeyemi to Nigeria, which she did on 27th September, 2022 and was handed over to her grandmother.
The fate of the remaining five girls was still hanging in the balance because they were yet to be returned back to Nigeria. However, a member of the Advocacy group, Mr. Titus Obey, insisted that the matter will not be treated with kid gloves so that the remaining girls will be brought back to Nigeria to their parents.
The Police have insisted that the suspects should ask their partner in Abidjan to bring those victims back to Nigeria otherwise they will be held liable and prosecuted.
The suspects were alleged to have committed the offence of conspiracy and child trafficking under the Criminal law of Lagos State, which is punishable by several years of imprisonment if they are tried and found guilty before the Court after the conclusion of investigations by the Police.