Police rescue suspected 17 trafficking victims in Nasarawa

The Nasarawa State Police Command has rescued 17 suspected victims of human trafficking in Karu Local Government Area of the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ramhan Nansel, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Lafia, the state capital.

According to the statement, police officers attached to the Mararaba ‘A’ Division intercepted a white Volkswagen Sharon vehicle with registration number SHD 253 YU on January 17, 2026, at about 5:50 p.m. The interception occurred during a stop-and-search operation at Sharp Corner, Karu LGA.

The vehicle was driven by Nanle John, a 36-year-old man, and was conveying 17 passengers made up of 11 boys and six girls, aged between 10 and 19 years.

Nansel said that during interrogation, the occupants were suspected to be victims of human trafficking.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the passengers and the driver claimed they were travelling from Shendam, Plateau State, to Kayama in Kwara State, where a man identified as Umaru (surname unknown) allegedly promised them farming jobs.

Efforts to reach the parents or guardians of the victims, as well as the said Umaru, were unsuccessful, as all phone numbers provided were unreachable.

Following the development, the Commissioner of Police, CP Shetima Jauro Mohammed, ordered that the victims be placed in protective custody at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Lafia, while a thorough investigation is carried out to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident and arrest all individuals linked to the suspected trafficking network.

The rescued victims were identified as: Nanpar Zwaltur (19), Monday Zinglak (14), Ramnap Selchum (18), Nankat Ayuba (18), Burnan Yilkur (19), Timnan Ponfa (19), Nantip Nanbut (19), Kumlyan Nanbut (17), Zwalkur Zingdap (15), Nanfar Zwalkur (11), Nanpar Nanbut (14), Nanchu Bwoi (13), Godiya Lagang (10), Yulbyen Zingdap (10), Nanna Chirvyok (12), Sholyen Rapkat (10), and Ladi Dinfa (12).

The Commissioner of Police reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting vulnerable persons and combating human trafficking in Nasarawa State, while urging members of the public to report any suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police station.