The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ogun State Command, has handed over four suspects to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) over their alleged involvement in child trafficking.
The suspects include a 16-year-old girl, her mother—39-year-old Sakirat Aremu—along with Ogunlaja Ronke, 35, and Mary Samuel, 50. According to the NSCDC, the mother approved her daughter’s trafficking to Libya before the operation was intercepted.
The NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Dyke Ogbonnaya, revealed that the minor was rescued in Sokoto State while being transported across the border.
“A case of child trafficking involving a 16-year-old survivor was transferred to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP),” Ogbonnaya stated.
He added that the suspects played various roles in facilitating the trafficking. “The mother of the survivor, Sakirat Aremu, gave her consent for the trafficking with the support of Ogunlaja Ronke and Mary Samuel, among others,” he said.
The suspects have been handed over to NAPTIP for further investigation while the Ogun NSCDC continues to monitor the case.
The Ogun State NSCDC Commandant, Remilekun Ekundayo, condemned the act and urged residents to live peacefully and abide by the law.
In a separate development, a 24-year-old hairstylist identified as Friday Gift has been arraigned before the Ago-Iwoye Magistrate Court for theft and malicious damage.
The defendant allegedly stole an iPhone XS Max belonging to her boss, Ogunnubi Elizabeth. According to Ogbonnaya, the phone was provided to document work-related activities before the suspect fled with it.
She was later apprehended and reportedly attacked one Sasore Ekundayo Nimay with the stolen phone, leaving her with facial injuries. The defendant also used her teeth to break the phone screen, rendering it unusable.
Following an investigation, Gift was charged with four offenses under Sections 390, 451, 335, and 249 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State, Nigeria 2006.
In court, the defendant pleaded not guilty and was granted bail, with the case adjourned to March 17, 2025, for trial.
Similarly, a 33-year-old man, Ogunmodimu Olanrewaju, was also arraigned at the Ago-Iwoye Magistrate Court for allegedly obtaining N600,000 under false pretenses.
Ogbonnaya explained that the defendant collected the money from Jimoh Oluwadamilare under the guise of executing a job but later blocked all means of communication with the victim.
Following a thorough investigation, Olanrewaju was charged under Section 419 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State, Nigeria 2006.
He pleaded not guilty and was granted bail while the court adjourned the matter to March 24, 2025, for trial.