The Oyo State Police Command has rescued 84 Congolese from a human trafficking syndicate operating in Ibadan, the state capital.
The victims were allegedly held captive for an unknown period in a building located in the Orogun area of Ibadan.
It was gathered that the victims were trafficked to Nigeria under the pretence of providing employment opportunities for them.
According to reports, the human traffickers had extorted large sums of money, reportedly in US dollars, from the victims’ families and relatives as part of their scheme to lure the victims into the country.
In a video shared by Channels TV, the rescued individuals, including a baby, were seen being escorted to police vans and buses.
The victims were later transported to the Police Headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, where they are currently being held while investigations continue.
However, attempts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer of Oyo State Command, Adewale Osifeso, for comment on the development were unsuccessful, as calls and messages to his phone were not responded to at the time of this report.