The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Bauchi State has successfully arrested two individuals linked to human trafficking and recovered a stolen Toyota Hilux in separate operations. The Bauchi State Commandant of the NSCDC, Mr. Oloyede Oyerinde, revealed these developments during a press briefing on Saturday.
Oyerinde stated that on March 25, NSCDC operatives intercepted a black Toyota Hilux (TRD V6 Off-Road) 2020 model with chassis number MROFA3CDOL3850349. The vehicle had been stolen from the Rantiya area near High School in Jos, Plateau State, and belonged to a resident, Mr. Emmanuel Agbola.
“Upon receiving the report at the State Command Headquarters, the personnel swiftly activated a stop-and-search operation and intensified patrols along the Bauchi-Jos Expressway,” Oyerinde explained.
Sensing danger, the criminals abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene. The recovered Hilux was later returned to its rightful owner.
In a separate case, Oyerinde reported that on March 21, at approximately 10:00 AM, a 19-year-old woman named Faith Gabriel approached the NSCDC office in Bauchi to report a case of human trafficking. Gabriel accused a 33-year-old woman from Yalwan Kagadama of deceiving four young girls, aged between 19 and 20, by promising them jobs in Ibadan. The alleged trafficker reportedly handed them over to a woman named Mary Simon, 35.
According to Oyerinde, “The girls were taken to Ibadan on March 10, allegedly for restaurant jobs. However, upon arrival, they were lodged in an undisclosed hotel; the next morning, the hotel’s security guard informed them that they were actually being trafficked for commercial sex work en route to Côte d’Ivoire.”
Realizing the danger they were in, the victims escaped from the hotel and managed to return to Bauchi. Following investigations, NSCDC operatives arrested the two suspects, who later confessed to transporting the victims.
Oyerinde condemned human trafficking and warned that anyone involved in such crimes would face legal consequences. He also assured the public that investigations were still ongoing and that the suspects would be prosecuted according to the law.
