The kogi state police command have arrested a family of four who specializes in luring young women and transport them to Ivory Coast for sexual exploitations.
The Command public Relations officer, ASP Saliu Afusat made the disclosure today while parading the suspects in Lokoja.
The Suspects, Mrs Angela Sylvester age 38, two daughters and a son in-law, Emmanuel David who conspired among themselves and lured Miss Patience Adamu, 21 , a daughter of one of her neighbors to assist her to get hairdressing business in the Republic of Ivory Coast.
The image maker noted that , Mrs Sylvester who have formed a cartel with her family members was fond of convincing young women in the neighborhood of a promising lucrative jobs in that country, often abduct them without the consent of their parents.
She added that , the suspect, in cahoots with her children lured Miss Patience Adamu who had lost her father, leaving the burden of raising five children to the wife, a petty plantain hawker , with the promise to send her to her daughter who run a hairdressing business in Ivory coast.
She said , patience , who has been weighed down with excruciating poverty that have bedeviled the family, after the death of her father accepted the offer with great joy that after all , it will turn around the lives of her other siblings, as she was transported by the suspect’s inlaw, Emmanuel David, who also resides in the same apartment, to another kingpin in Lagos who delivered her to the daughter, the receiver in Ivory Coast.
She said, the bubble busted when the girl discovered that the promised job was not forthcoming, rather , she was introduced into sexual business, then contacted her siblings through a foreign phone call, the call that forced the mother to demand the return of her daughter from madam Sylvester.
The police image maker further highlighted that , persistent demands from the mother of the victim without reasonable response made her to report the incidence to an NGO, Challenge Parenthood Initiative,CPI who then lodged the complaint with the state command.
She added that with credible intelligence, the police swung into action, arrested the suspects which led to the safe return of the victim.
She said, further investigations revealed that there are other girls holed up there by the suspects, raising fears that government needs to do something urgently to bring them back to their families, while warning would be victims to be circumspect with promises they receive from people of predatory characters.
She said , on completion of investigation, the suspects will be handed over to the National Agency for the prohibition of trafficking in persons NAPTIP for further actions.
Shedding more light, the Executive Director, Challenge Parenthood Initiative, Eunice Abimbola Agbogun, said , on the 10/4/2O26, she received a report of human trafficking involving a young woman, and after the stakeholders meeting to review the matter, on the 22/5/2025, wrote a formal complaint to the commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Kankarofi.
She noted that the commissioner of Police swiftly deployed his men who arrested the principal suspect and her accomplices who equally are members of her family, who confessed to the crime.
The Executive Director added that through discreet investigation, the victim was returned last Saturday to the family.
According to her, it was discovered that, there is a particular family who operates a trafficking cell in Ibaji quarters in Lokoja, who entices and lure vulnerable young adult women within the community into prostitution in Cote D’Ivoire.
She said their mode of operandi is to transport these girls through Ghana to cote D’voire whose two daughters would receive them in that country and subject them to prostitution, praising the police for their proactiveness in arresting the situation
Agbogun lamented that the menace of human trafficking was real in Kogi state, as the cartel has been exposed, urging the state Government to take active interest in this matter.
She said, the cartels often take advantage of the excruciating poverty, illiteracy to hoodwink these girls with a promise of better lives in that country
She added that the location of kogi state , which shares border with about ten states and FCt made it a hub for this nefarious activities, calling on NAPTIP to open an office in the state to deal with the situation, even as suspects have to be taken to the NAPTIP office in Abuja.
While explaining the situation amidst sobbing, the mother of the survivor, Mrs Mercy Aliudo 41, said , life was relatively good for the family until her husband died leaving seven children, although two died to fend for them.
She disclosed that in order to eke a living and pay their bills, she resorted to hawking plantain, saying , maybe the woman thought trafficking her daughter would be an assistance to her which she does not know
She commended the CPI and the police for their actions in rescuing the daughter after months of waiting.
Meanwhile, Patience Adamu, the victim said her experience in Ivory Coast was horrific and traumatic and urged relevant authorities to repatriate some Nigerian women trapped into abusive prostitution in that country.
The kogi state police command have arrested a family of four who specializes in luring young women and transport them to Ivory Coast for sexual exploitations.The Command public Relations officer, ASP Saliu Afusat made the disclosure today while parading the suspects in Lokoja.The Suspects, Mrs Angela Sylvester age 38, two daughters and a son in-law, Emmanuel David who conspired among themselves and lured Miss Patience Adamu, 21 , a daughter of one of her neighbors to assist her to get hairdressing business in the Republic of Ivory Coast.The image maker noted that , Mrs Sylvester who have formed a cartel with her family members was fond of convincing young women in the neighborhood of a promising lucrative jobs in that country, often abduct them without the consent of their parents.She added that , the suspect, in cahoots with her children lured Miss Patience Adamu who had lost her father, leaving the burden of raising five children to the wife, a petty plantain hawker , with the promise to send her to her daughter who run a hairdressing business in Ivory coast.She said , patience , who has been weighed down with excruciating poverty that have bedeviled the family, after the death of her father accepted the offer with great joy that after all , it will turn around the lives of her other siblings, as she was transported by the suspect’s inlaw, Emmanuel David, who also resides in the same apartment, to another kingpin in Lagos who delivered her to the daughter, the receiver in Ivory Coast.She said, the bubble busted when the girl discovered that the promised job was not forthcoming, rather , she was introduced into sexual business, then contacted her siblings through a foreign phone call, the call that forced the mother to demand the return of her daughter from madam Sylvester.The police image maker further highlighted that , persistent demands from the mother of the victim without reasonable response made her to report the incidence to an NGO, Challenge Parenthood Initiative,CPI who then lodged the complaint with the state command.She added that with credible intelligence, the police swung into action, arrested the suspects which led to the safe return of the victim.She said, further investigations revealed that there are other girls holed up there by the suspects, raising fears that government needs to do something urgently to bring them back to their families, while warning would be victims to be circumspect with promises they receive from people of predatory characters.She said , on completion of investigation, the suspects will be handed over to the National Agency for the prohibition of trafficking in persons NAPTIP for further actions.Shedding more light, the Executive Director, Challenge Parenthood Initiative, Eunice Abimbola Agbogun, said , on the 10/4/2O26, she received a report of human trafficking involving a young woman, and after the stakeholders meeting to review the matter, on the 22/5/2025, wrote a formal complaint to the commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Kankarofi.She noted that the commissioner of Police swiftly deployed his men who arrested the principal suspect and her accomplices who equally are members of her family, who confessed to the crime.The Executive Director added that through discreet investigation, the victim was returned last Saturday to the family.According to her, it was discovered that, there is a particular family who operates a trafficking cell in Ibaji quarters in Lokoja, who entices and lure vulnerable young adult women within the community into prostitution in Cote D’Ivoire.She said their mode of operandi is to transport these girls through Ghana to cote D’voire whose two daughters would receive them in that country and subject them to prostitution, praising the police for their proactiveness in arresting the situationAgbogun lamented that the menace of human trafficking was real in Kogi state, as the cartel has been exposed, urging the state Government to take active interest in this matter.She said, the cartels often take advantage of the excruciating poverty, illiteracy to hoodwink these girls with a promise of better lives in that countryShe added that the location of kogi state , which shares border with about ten states and FCt made it a hub for this nefarious activities, calling on NAPTIP to open an office in the state to deal with the situation, even as suspects have to be taken to the NAPTIP office in Abuja.While explaining the situation amidst sobbing, the mother of the survivor, Mrs Mercy Aliudo 41, said , life was relatively good for the family until her husband died leaving seven children, although two died to fend for them.She disclosed that in order to eke a living and pay their bills, she resorted to hawking plantain, saying , maybe the woman thought trafficking her daughter would be an assistance to her which she does not knowShe commended the CPI and the police for their actions in rescuing the daughter after months of waiting.Meanwhile, Patience Adamu, the victim said her experience in Ivory Coast was horrific and traumatic and urged relevant authorities to repatriate some Nigerian women trapped into abusive prostitution in that country.
