According to a Nigerian Tribune report, the Benue State Police Command has arrested a prince involved in alleged trafficking of 23 people from Buruku Local Government Area of the state to Kwara.
Disclosing this to newsmen in Makurdi on Wednesday, the State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said that the prince, Messenger Tar was caught while conveying the 23 people out of the state in an 18-seater bus belonging to the Benue State Transport Company known as Benue Links.
The police boss said that a team of policemen on routine patrol intercepted the vehicle on Easter Sunday around the Buruku area on suspicion that the victims who are between the ages of 45 and 12 were being transported illegally for trafficking purposes.
According to him, ‘investigation revealed that the victims were lured by the suspect on promises of providing them with jobs at Kiama in Kwara State but that they were actually going to be taken outside the country to Niger for exploitation’.
“The victims would be handed over to their parents/guardians while the suspected trafficker will face the law.
The suspect who spoke to newsmen after being paraded denied that he was trafficking the people for exploitation.
He explained that he had a restaurant in Kwara state and had wanted the two ladies among the alleged victims to work for him having settled their parents of the sum of N10, 000 monthly salary.
He added that the other victims were only going to join their relatives living in Kwara state.
In a related development, the commissioner of police said there was a clash between herdsmen and Agatu farmers but has been brought under control.
He said that since the incident happened on Thursday, last week, the command had been all out to operationalise its peace mechanism in the area so as to forestall break down of law and order while assuring that the culprits would be brought to book.
Owoseni further reiterated his call on all those in possession of illegal firearms to turn them into the police or else they would be dealt with soon when the police begin its raid on suspected illegal arms bearer in the state.