Police rescue 17 suspected human trafficking victims in Nasarawa

The Nasarawa State Police Command has rescued 17 persons suspected to be victims of human trafficking during a stop-and-search operation in Karu Local Government Area of the state.

The rescue was carried out on Saturday at about 5:50 p.m. after patrol officers attached to the Mararaba “A” Division intercepted a white Volkswagen Sharon vehicle at Sharp Corner, Karu, according to a statement issued on Sunday.

THE PUNCH reported that the vehicle, with registration number SHD 253 YU, was driven by a 36-year-old man, Nanle John, and was conveying 17 passengers made up of 11 boys and six girls aged between 10 and 19 years.

Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer in Nasarawa State, Ramhan Nansel, said the circumstances surrounding the movement of the occupants raised suspicion during interrogation.

“Upon interrogation, the occupants were suspected to be victims of human trafficking,” Mr Nansel said in the statement. “Further investigation revealed that both the driver and the passengers stated that they were travelling from Shendam, Plateau State, to Kayama in Kwara State to meet one Umaru, surname yet unknown, who allegedly lured and promised to secure farming jobs for them in Kayama town.”

He said efforts by the police to contact the parents or guardians of the children, as well as the said Umaru, proved abortive as all the phone numbers provided were unreachable.

Mr Nansel added that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Shetima Mohammed, ordered that the rescued persons be taken into protective custody at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Lafia.

“The Commissioner of Police directed a thorough investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident and apprehend all those connected to the suspected human trafficking network,” he said.

The police identified the rescued persons as Nanpar Zwaltur, 19; Monday Zinglak, 14; Ramnap Selchum, 18; Nankat Ayuba, 18; Burnan Yilkur, 19; Timnan Ponfa, 19; Nantip Nanbut, 19; Kumlyan Nanbut, 17; Zwalkur Zingdap, 15; Nanfar Zwalkur, 11; Nanpar Nanbut, 14; Nanchu Bwoi, 13; Godiya Lagang, 10; Yulbyen Zingdap, 10; Nanna Chirvyok, 12; Sholyen Rapkat, 10; and Ladi Dinfa, 12.

Mr Nansel said the police command remains committed to protecting vulnerable persons and eradicating human trafficking in the state, urging members of the public to report suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police station.

The latest rescue adds to a growing number of human trafficking cases uncovered by the Nasarawa State Police Command in recent months, particularly in Karu Local Government Area, which has emerged as a transit point for traffickers.

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On 1 December 2025, the police rescued 39 victims of human trafficking in a separate operation in Mararaba, also in Karu LGA. During a press briefing in Lafia on that date, the Commissioner of Police said the victims, mostly foreign nationals, were rescued following credible intelligence.

According to the police, the victims, including 32 males and seven females from Mali and Ivory Coast, were allegedly lured into Nigeria under the pretext of securing job opportunities in France. They were reportedly held in a bungalow at Orange Market, Mararaba, and instructed to recruit more persons for an undisclosed operation.

The suspect in that case, identified as Abdullahi Berter, a Malian national, was later arrested after an intensive manhunt, while the rescued victims were handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further action.

Police authorities have repeatedly warned that human trafficking networks continue to exploit poverty, unemployment and weak cross-border controls, particularly targeting children and young persons with promises of jobs and better living conditions.

The Nasarawa State Police Command has said it will sustain intelligence-led operations to dismantle such networks and bring those responsible to justice.