The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Oyo State Command, has arrested a 28-year-old housewife for her alleged role in a human trafficking syndicate that sent a 17-year-old girl to West Africa for prostitution. The suspect’s husband, believed to be her accomplice, is currently at large, the command confirmed in a statement in Ibadan.
According to the NSCDC’s Public Relations Officer, Samuel Opebiyi, the woman, identified in related reports as Kemi Kolawole, a resident of Ifeleye in the Ogunpa Market area of Ibadan, was apprehended on January 22 following a complaint lodged by the victim’s elder sister at the corps’ Anti-Human Trafficking Unit on January 20, 2026.
Preliminary investigations, Opebiyi said, revealed that the offence occurred on November 25, 2025, when Kolawole and her husband, named in some accounts as Oni Kayode, allegedly orchestrated the trafficking of the teenager to Libya, with subsequent movement aimed at Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) for prostitution. Kayode, aged 32, is yet to be found by security operatives.
“While investigations into the full details and network of the illicit operation are still ongoing, the Command confirmed that the victim was allegedly lured with false promises before being trafficked abroad,” Opebiyi said in the statement, underscoring the deceptive tactics reportedly employed by the suspects.
The NSCDC’s probe also established that the victim first came into contact with the alleged trafficking syndicate through Rodiat Lawal, an apprentice at the suspect’s shop in the market, where shoes, bags and other accessories are sold. The teenager had approached Lawal expressing her desire to secure a job opportunity, an appeal that ultimately led to her introduction to the suspects, Opebiyi explained.
In addition to the ongoing investigation, the state NSCDC Commandant, Augustine Padonu, appealed to the public to stay vigilant and support security agencies in reporting any suspicious activities that could be linked to human trafficking. He reiterated the corps’ commitment to combating trafficking and related crimes, saying efforts would be intensified to rescue victims and ensure that all persons involved are brought to justice.
Padonu further assured that once investigations are concluded, the suspect will be charged in court, even as operations continue to track down her fleeing husband.
