A 35-year-old suspected human trafficker, Ganiat Ajijola, was on Friday, arrested by the Lagos State Government, LASG, at the Abule-Egba area of the state.
This disclosure was made in Lagos on Saturday by an official of the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mr Femi Malik, while briefing journalists.
Malik said the suspect was arrested following a tip-off.
He alleged that the suspect was in the process of trafficking four young girls to Libya, when she was arrested with the victims, adding that the ministry had solicited the assistance of the Police Rapid Response Squad at the state Secretariat in Alausa, to arrest the suspect.
“The suspect confessed that her madam had taken her to Libya in 2010 to work in her shop as a hairdresser.
“Ajijola, who claimed to have returned from Libya a month ago, said she contacted the girls and had made arrangement to take them to Abeokuta to obtain international passports,” Malik added.
Speaking further, the official stated that the mother of one of the victims fainted when she learnt of the arrest of her daughter and had been rushed to the hospital.
“Also, the father of one of the victims, who identified himself as Apostle Ogundeko, said a man he prayed for in his church offered to assist his 16 year-old daughter, Olabisi to travel abroad.
“Ogundeko,” the official noted, “claimed that he was told his daughter, who is a tailor, would be taken to Germany where she would work and go to school.”
“Ogundeko added that he was shocked to learn that his daughter was being taken to Libya after he had paid N15,000 for her medical check-up and the international passport.”
Meanwhile, the suspect and the victims, as well as others arrested in connection with the matter have been handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), for further investigation into the case.