TheCable

The Ogun police command says it has arrested a couple who allegedly attempted to traffick a 16-year-old girl to Burkina Faso.

According to NAN, Abimbola Oyeyemi, police spokesperson in the state, said the couple, Godday and Ebere Samuel, were arrested on October 17.

Oyeyemi said they were arrested after one Adeniji Okikiolu reported at the Atan Ota divisional police headquarters that Maria Adeniji, his 16-year-old daughter, had gone missing on October 16.

He said police operatives were dispatched to search for the girl who was eventually found with Ebere the next day.

“Upon the information, Ebere was invited to the station, but she vehemently denied ever seeing the missing girl on or before that day,” the police spokesperson said.

“Not satisfied with her plea of alibi, Ebere was subsequently detained at the station.

“But surprisingly, when her husband was contacted, the husband confessed to having taken the missing girl to somewhere in Lagos for onward transportation to Burkina Faso where she will be engaged as a maid to one of their associates.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the couple has been into the business of human trafficking for sometime now and that their accomplices are in Burkina Faso.”

He said Lanre Bankole, commissioner of police in the state, has directed that the suspects be transferred to the anti-human trafficking and child labour unit of the state criminal investigation department to conduct further investigation and ensure they are prosecuted.