Operatives of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit of the Ondo State Police Command have dismantled a “notorious s3x trafficking” network that exploited young women under the guise of job recruitment and social media content creation.
In a statement released on Sunday in Akure, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, confirmed that 15 victims aged between 20 and 26 were rescued during the operation.
Ayanlade said the SWAT team, acting on credible intelligence, arrested one Jayeola Joshua, a resident of Alagbaka, alongside two accomplices suspected of running the syndicate.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the group lured women from across Nigeria with fake promises of well-paying jobs, including domestic work, ushering roles, and foreign employment opportunities.
According to the police, an apartment in the Alagbaka area was rented specifically to carry out the illegal activities. Following this discovery, Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal, ordered the landlords to be questioned as part of the ongoing investigation.
“The arrangement not only enabled exploitation but also showed how organised criminal elements prey on vulnerable young women seeking genuine means of livelihood,” Ayanlade said.
Further investigations uncovered that the victims were manipulated into sending explicit photos and videos, which were later distributed to clients seeking sexual services. The main suspect reportedly took the largest share of the proceeds, disguising the operation as a social media “relationship content creation” business to conceal its true purpose.
Ayanlade added that the rescued women have been taken to a hospital in Akure for medical treatment, psychological evaluation, and counselling.
CP Lawal has directed that the case be handed over to the Command’s Gender Desk Unit for deeper investigation and rehabilitation of the victims. He also ordered the prosecution of all arrested suspects, while efforts are underway to apprehend fleeing members of the group.
The police chief emphasised that intelligence-driven operations and collaboration with other agencies have improved the Command’s effectiveness in tackling human trafficking and similar crimes.
Reiterating his commitment to ending sexual exploitation in Ondo State, CP Lawal urged parents and guardians to thoroughly verify job offers and recruitment agencies before allowing their wards to travel.
He also appealed to residents to remain vigilant and share credible information that could assist in preventing and detecting criminal activities, stressing that community cooperation remains vital to public safety.
