The Plateau State government has arrested three human trafficking suspects and rescued 11 victims, including minors and pregnant women, during an operation targeting an illegal transport hub allegedly used to ferry vulnerable persons to mining camps in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The operation, which led to the arrest of 14 persons in total, was carried out following intelligence received from a resident of Zawan community in Jos South Local Government Area.
Speaking at a press briefing in Jos on Friday, the Special Adviser to Governor Caleb Mutfwang on Gender and Chairperson of the Plateau State Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission, Olivia Dazyam, said the illegal motor park had allegedly operated for nearly a decade without attracting public attention.
According to Dazyam, the commission became aware of the facility after a community member reported suspicious activities at a location in Zawan Junction, where vehicles reportedly conveyed passengers to mining communities in Ibadan every Tuesday and Thursday.
She said a visit to the site revealed five vehicles loading passengers, including young girls and suspected miners, for what appeared to be a night journey.
“We discovered that some of them were children below the age of 18 who were being recruited to work as labourers in mining camps. Some of the women were pregnant, while one was carrying a nursing baby,” Dazyam said.
Investigations later confirmed that the facility was not recognised by transport authorities or the transport union.
Following alerts from the commission, security agencies intervened and detained those involved.
Preliminary findings showed that eight of the rescued victims were minors.
The commission also alleged that the victims were transported free of charge and would only begin repaying transportation costs after arriving at the mining sites and commencing work.
Dazyam described the arrangement as a form of child exploitation and human trafficking.
She alleged that workers at the mining camps were subjected to exploitative labour conditions under which they reportedly worked six days for their employers and retained earnings for only one day of labour.
The official expressed concern that school-age children were being recruited into mining activities, instead of attending school.
“These children are supposed to be in school. Instead, they are being taken to mining ponds to work as labourers,” she said.
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She also lamented reports that a large community of Plateau State indigenes, including minors, had been established around the mining settlements without adequate protection or welfare arrangements.
Calling for greater vigilance, Dazyam urged residents to report suspicious movements involving children and vulnerable persons.
She disclosed that officials of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).confirmed that registered motor parks would not ordinarily permit the transportation of unaccompanied minors, forcing traffickers to operate from hidden and unauthorised locations.
One of the suspects, identified as Emmanuel Dauda, admitted involvement in the mining business but claimed he joined the trade to earn a living.
He said he travelled outside Plateau State for mining work because he lacked opportunities within the state.
