A 58-year-old woman identified as Modupe Bello has been arrested on suspicion of crimes related to human trafficking and child labour.
The Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps arrested the woman last weekend.
At least three teenagers who were not her children were reportedly rescued in her residence during the operation.
Accordingly, the operatives also discovered photographs of children believed to have been previously trafficked by the suspect.
The PUNCH, quoting NSCDC spokesperson, Babawale Afolabi, reported that the arrested was made during a raid carried out at Modupe’s residence at B5, Cappa street, Bacita in Edu local government area of the state.
She was reportedly arrested last weekend, according to the spokesperson.
Speaking to newsmen in Ilorin, Afolabi revealed that Bello was a prime suspect in the missing case of an 18-year-old girl, Damilola Agbaje.
The spokesman revealed that her father, one Agbaje Oluwafemi had come to the Bacita Divisional Office of the NSCDC to report that his daughter was missing.
Oluwafemi noted that the “whereabouts of his daughter have been unknown since January 18, 2022, and that Damilola’s parents suspected Madam Modupe Bello because she was the one that came to meet them a few days earlier begging the parents to release Damilola to her.”
The spokesman continued, “Detectives from the intelligence and investigations department later swung into action and a raid was carried out at the woman’s residence in Bacita where three children were recovered while some photographs believed to be that of the children that she had trafficked were also recovered.
“The age range of the children in those photographs are between 13 – 18 years.”
Although Bello was said to have confessed to the crime of trafficking during interrogation, Babawale said she denied knowing the whereabouts of Damilola.
The matter has been transferred to the Anti-human trafficking and illegal migration unit of the corps for proper investigations and further action as directed by the Kwara State Commandant of the NSCDC Iskilu Makinde.
As of the time of filing this report, the NSCDC did not disclose further updates on the whereabouts of the missing Damilola.
