Eight minors have been rescued by the Plateau State Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission and three suspected human traffickers have been arrested.
The Chairperson of the Commission, Mrs. Olivia Dazyam, disclosed this while addressing journalists in Jos on Friday, said the arrest followed the discovery of an illegal transport park allegedly used for trafficking persons from Plateau State to Oyo State.
According to her, the park operated only on Tuesdays and Thursdays, transporting passengers to Sapeteri in Oyo State and returning with others on designated days.
“The Commission acted on intelligence received from a reliable source about the activities of an illegal motor park located at Zawan Junction in Jos South Local Government Area.
“We quickly moved to the area and found about five vehicles loading passengers and preparing for what appeared to be a night journey. We wanted to ascertain the legitimacy of the operation,” she said.
She noted that the location did not appear to be a recognized motor park and that some of the prospective passengers, including young women and individuals suspected to be miners, raised further suspicion.
The Commission subsequently contacted the Plateau State Commissioner for Transport, who confirmed that the facility was not an approved motor park and was unknown to transport authorities and relevant unions.
Dazyam commended the swift collaboration between the Commission, the ministry of transport, and security agencies, adding that the police had commenced investigations into the activities of the operators.
Dazyam revealed that eight underage children were rescued during the operation, alongside three young women, two of whom were pregnant and married to miners.
She added that the suspected traffickers are assisting security agencies with ongoing investigations.
The chairperson of the commission expressed concern that the illegal park had allegedly operated for nearly a decade without detection or intervention.
“We discovered that some of those preparing to travel were children below the age of 18. Information available to us indicates that they were being recruited to work in mining communities around Ibadan, Oyo State where labour is required,” she stated.
She further disclosed that the transportation arrangements were financed by recruiters, with the workers expected to repay the costs after arriving at their destinations.
The Commission reiterated its commitment to protecting vulnerable persons, combating human trafficking, and ensuring that perpetrators are brought to justice.
Veteran journalist and recipient of A.B.C Yola, Reporter of the Year Award (1997), Hassan Umar Shallpella, works with WAP as a Regional Correspondence. He was trained at Institute of Mass Communication and Technology Jos and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Training School Lagos.He was a News desk Editor and a Correspondent at the Punch newspaper and till 2019, was the Deputy Editor ofThe Scope newspaper.
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