One Bankole Cecilia, a 26-year-old lady, rescued alongside three others from an alleged human trafficker, Ganiat Ajilola, has told operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, of the Lagos State Police Command, that she abandoned her two kids for a trip to Libya.
Ajijola, a 35-year-old suspected human trafficker, was Friday, arrested by the Lagos State Government, LASG, at the Abule-Egba area of the state.
An official of the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mr Femi Malik, had earlier disclosed that the suspect alongside four victims, were arrested following a tip off.
Malik also alleged that the suspect was in the process of trafficking four young girls to Libya, when she was arrested with the victims, adding that the ministry had solicited the assistance of the Police Rapid Response Squad at the state Secretariat in Alausa, to arrest the suspect.
Following their arrest, one of the victims, Cecilia, a hairdresser, stated that her husband opposed the trip, and as a result, she sneaked out of the house, leaving her children behind, and embarked on the botched trip to Libya.
In her confession while being paraded at the state Secretariat in Alausa, she said, “Although, I am a hairdresser, I have not performed the necessary process for graduation. Going to Libya to work as an artisan would have enabled me to raise funds for my graduation, as well as take care of my family.
“I told my husband to allow me to go so that I would have an opportunity to raise the funds for the family. I pleaded with him, but he opposed the idea and started watching the children, so I wouldn’t be able to take them with me.
“Even when my mother pleaded with my husband, assuring him that she would be taking care of the children while I would be away, he still opposed the trip.”
The mother of two children aged two and four respectively, explained further that the human trafficker refused to open up to them how long they would stay in Libya.
“The woman did not tell us the number of years we are going to spend in Libya. She only told us that we were going by road,” Cecilia added.
However, the victim’s mother, Mrs. Maria Bankole, said Ajijola (the human trafficker) told her that her daughter would be re-united with her after two years.
Mrs. Maria said, “I was informed that a big madam, whom Ganiat Ajijola was working for in Libya, needed hairdressers to help her manage her shop. I begged her husband, but he declined to allow her go on the trip.
“However, I prayed about it and God said she should go. That is why I encouraged her to go.
“I am not aware that they were going by road. They told me Ganiat Ajilola was taking my daughter and others to Abeokuta to arrange passports for them,” the victim’s mother added.
The RRS Commander, Olatunji Disu, confirming the development, said the rescued victims and the suspected human trafficker have been transferred to National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Person and other related matters, NAPTIP.
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