Security forces in Plateau State have successfully dismantled a human trafficking operation, rescuing two pregnant women, a nursing mother, and seven minors from a makeshift transport hub in Jos South. The operation, which took place at Zawan Junction, targeted a syndicate that allegedly preyed on vulnerable individuals, luring them with false promises of employment in mining camps in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Olivia Dazyam, the Special Adviser on Gender to Governor Caleb Mutfwang and Chairperson of the Plateau State Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission, led the rescue mission. She recounted that her team acted on a tip from a local resident who noticed unusual activity at an illegal motor park operating only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The informant suspected the park was being used to transport victims to Ibadan for forced labor in mining sites.
During a discreet investigation, authorities discovered that children as young as 11 were being recruited for grueling work. The victims were promised wages, but in reality, they were subjected to bonded labor—working six days a week for their handlers and keeping only the earnings from the seventh day. Dazyam described the conditions as exploitative, noting that the system enriched a chain of beneficiaries at the expense of the victims’ freedom.
On the day of the raid, Dazyam and her team found five vehicles preparing for a night journey. They intercepted the group, identifying minors among the passengers. Three suspected traffickers were arrested in connection with the ring. Dazyam emphasized that many parents were unaware of their children’s whereabouts, with one father expressing shock that his two children were about to be transported.
The rescue underscores the ongoing fight against human trafficking in Plateau State, where illegal mining camps have become a magnet for exploitative labor practices. Authorities have vowed to intensify efforts to dismantle trafficking networks and protect vulnerable populations.