Operatives of the Ondo State Police Command have arrested three foreign nationals, including a Togolese man, over alleged involvement in human trafficking and visa fraud in Akure, the state capital.
The suspects were identified as John Apiah, 30, a Togolese national, alongside two females, Blessings Assiah, 22, and Laro Larisa, 21. They were arrested in the Oda axis of Akure South Local Government Area.
Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Jimoh Abayomi, said Apiah was the principal suspect who allegedly used the two women to lure unsuspecting victims into Nigeria under false pretences.
According to Abayomi, three victims—Kanate Dekadja, 35; Charity Paketerima, 27; and Mohammed Assiah, 25—were reportedly extorted of 1.6 million CFA francs. The suspects allegedly promised to help them secure international passports and United States visas.
He added that the victims were rescued after credible intelligence revealed they were being held in an apartment in Oda under suspicious circumstances.
Abayomi said the Commissioner of Police cautioned landlords and property owners to conduct proper background checks on tenants, warning that negligence that allows properties to be used for criminal activities would attract serious legal consequences.
