By Evelyn Usman
LAGOS—The Zone 2 Command, Onikan, Lagos has busted a human trafficking syndicate that specialised in trafficking gullible ladies between 19 and 21 years to Mauritania, where they are used as sex workers.
Arrested were two suspected female members of the syndicate, in their recruiting base at Ipaja-Ayobo area of Lagos.
One of the suspects was said to have confessed to receiving N50,000 for each lady recruited for prostitution.
This is just as the Zonal Command has swooped on suspected members of the Eiye confraternity group while planning an attack in Ijebu-Ife area of Ogun State, arresting a 54-year- old suspected member.
Recovered from the cultists’ hideout were a locally made sngle barrel pistol, six live cartridges, 21 voter’s cards suspected to be fake and one Emerald Pump Action gun with breach number 1335.
The Zonal Public Relations Officer, CSP Ayuba Umma, who confirmed both arrests, said the human trafficking syndicate was busted on March 22, 2025, by operatives of the Zonal Intelligence Response Squad (ZIRS) led by SP Francis Kpoughul.
She gave identities of the suspects as Stella Edem and Susan Michael.
CSP Umma explained that “Stella Edem confessed to the crime. She said she was introduced to one Anabel, a female who is based in Mauritania by Rosemary Isaiah Otobong, a female who has been prosecuted for the same offence and is currently serving jail term in the Nigeria Correctional facility.
“She added that Anabel contracted her to recruit young girls below the age of 22 years to be used as sex workers in Mauritania and that she was paid N50,000 as commission on each young girl sent to Mauritania.
“She confessed that among other girls she recruited is her 19 -year- old daughter, adding that she has so far recieved a total of N500,000 from Anabel.
“Her accomplice, Susan Michael, confessed to have been contracted by Stella Edem to recruit young girls to serve as domestic staff in Mauritania but on further inquiries she discovered the girls were to be used as sex workers, hence she withdrew from the said business
“The only girl she sent to Stella Edem was rejected due to age and body size. At that point, she said she felt something wasn’t right and left.”
On the arrest of the 54-year- old suspected cultist, Umma said the arrest was effected through intelligence report at the disposal of the Assistant Inspector General of Police in-charge of Zone 2 Command, about the activities of the cultists that had been terrorizing Ijebu-Ife axis of Ogun State.
According to her,“the hideout of the said cult group was raided on March 19, 2025 while they were planning an attack. Orekoya Abayomi , aged 54 years, was arrested while others escaped through a nearby bush. He led the team to his residence where the exhibits were recovered.”
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