Following valuable intelligence, Mrs Olushola Areke was successfully apprehended by the 65 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, which operates under 81 Division, on suspicions of human trafficking in Lagos.
Lt.-Col. Olabisi Ayeni, the spokesperson for 81 Division, confirmed the arrest in a statement released on Monday.
The accused, Mrs. Areke, allegedly kidnapped Miss Fayoke Kunle, the 22-year-old daughter of Mrs. Ainor Kunle.
According to Ayeni, Mrs. Kunle had entrusted her daughter to the suspect, believing that she would secure employment for the young girl in Oshodi, Lagos.
Instead of fulfilling her promise, the suspect moved Miss Kunle to Kano, where the victim discovered her situation and overheard plans of being taken to Libya.
“Miss Kunle managed to bravely escape from her captor and returned home on April 23, 2024,” Ayeni stated.
Reacting to the distressing incident, Army troops engaged Mrs. Areke, offering to send more individuals to her for potential job opportunities.
The suspect eagerly accepted the proposal and was subsequently apprehended at the agreed meeting point, where she intended to collect her alleged other victims.
Both Mrs. Areke and Miss Kunle have been handed over to the Ajah Police Command in Lagos for further investigation, Ayeni confirmed.
Ayeni urged the general public to continue supporting the Army by providing timely information to help uphold law and order.