The Plateau State Anti-Human Trafficking Taskforce has arrested 184 persons in a large-scale, multi-location raid targeting suspected human trafficking and child prostitution networks in Jos South Local Government Area.
The operation, which took place around the Old Airport junction and adjoining areas, lasted several hours into the early hours of Saturday and led to the rescue of 16 minors and three pregnant women.
Addressing journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Jos, the State Attorney-General and Chairman of the Taskforce, Mr. P.A. Daffi, Esq., described the raid as a major breakthrough in the state’s anti-trafficking efforts.
“A total of 184 persons were arrested during the operation, including 41 adult females — three of whom are pregnant — 123 adult males, nine male minors, seven female minors, and one person living with a disability,” Daffi said, adding that all suspects are currently in custody and undergoing profiling.
He said minors involved in the operation would be treated strictly in accordance with the Child Rights Law, while those found culpable would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Daffi declared that the administration would no longer tolerate child prostitution under any guise, describing it as a form of human trafficking and a grave violation of human rights.
“When a minor is involved, there is no such thing as consent. It is exploitation, coercion, and a gross violation of the Child Rights Law,” he said.
The Attorney-General also announced a zero-tolerance policy for properties found to be complicit in trafficking-related activities, warning that such establishments would face immediate sanctions.
“Any property or establishment used for harbouring child prostitution or human trafficking will be sealed, seized, and, where necessary, demolished,” he noted, adding that assets found within such premises could be forfeited to the state.
He further warned parents, guardians, and family members against complicity or negligence, stating that relatives who traffic their own children or abandon their duty of care would be held criminally liable.
Daffi said the task force operated within the confines of the law and that the rights of all persons in custody would be strictly protected in line with the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
He added that the task force would continue to strengthen its operational capacity through improved intelligence gathering, training, and infrastructure, while rehabilitation and reintegration frameworks were being developed for rescued victims.
The Attorney-General said the operation would be expanded to other parts of the state as resources permit, stressing that no local government area would be excluded from ongoing enforcement efforts.
