AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have rescued 38 Cameroonian nationals who were discovered locked up in a building in Mowe, a community in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of the state.
The victims — comprising 22 men and 16 women — were allegedly lured into Nigeria under false pretences by suspected fraudsters who promised them lucrative business opportunities.
The discovery was made on Sunday during a routine police patrol in the Adesan Abule Afa area. A police source said the officers heard unusual noises coming from a building that appeared to be locked from the outside, prompting them to force entry.
“Inside the premises, they found the foreign nationals visibly distressed and confined. They claimed they had travelled from Cameroon to invest in a scheme known as ‘Quinnet,’” the source added.
One suspect, a 35-year-old Nigerian identified as Ndubusi Awareobi from Anambra State, was arrested at the scene and is currently in police custody, assisting with investigations.
Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Omolola Odutola, said the rescued individuals had been handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Service for further action.
“Yes, there were 38 illegal immigrants. Some of them were deceived with promises of job opportunities upon arrival. We have handed them over to the immigration authorities,” she said.
The rescue operation comes amid increased efforts by law enforcement agencies to tackle human trafficking and illegal immigration across the country.
In a related development, the Nigeria Police recently apprehended 43 individuals — including suspected traffickers and undocumented immigrants — following a petition by a Ghanaian national to the Interpol Unit in Abuja.
Similarly, in March, 27 foreign nationals were rescued by the Lagos State Police Command from an apartment in the Isheri Oshun area after one of the victims managed to send a distress call to the Complaint Response Unit.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing to unravel the full extent of the trafficking networks and bring all perpetrators to justice.
