Operatives of the Amotekun Corps in Osun State recently apprehended a suspected inter-state child trafficker, identified as Isaac Okonu, for allegedly trafficking four under-aged boys from Akwa Ibom State to Osun State to work as laborers.
The arrest, which took place in the Ifetedo area of the state, was made possible through the swift action of the Amotekun operatives.
According to a statement released by the spokesperson of the Amotekun Corps in Osun, Yusuff Idowu, the suspect, aged 23, who hails from Akwa Ibom State, lured the victims with the promise of job opportunities in Lagos without obtaining consent from their parents or guardians.
It was later discovered that the suspect's intention was to exploit the boys as laborers on farms in Ajebandele village, Osun State.
The statement revealed that the suspect was intercepted after the driver of the vehicle transporting them raised an alarm, prompting the Amotekun operatives to take swift action. Upon interrogation, Isaac confessed to trafficking the boys without the knowledge or consent of their parents or relatives.
The victims, comprising four minors aged 10, 11, 14, and 15, along with a 23-year-old man, recounted being deceived by Isaac, who falsely promised them employment opportunities in Lagos.
They were unaware of his true intentions to use them as laborers in Osun State.
The Amotekun Corps emphasized the gravity of the offense and, the vulnerability of the victims, who were taken out of their home state without parental consent.
Consequently, the suspect and the victims were transferred to the headquarters of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in Osogbo for further investigation and prosecution.
