No fewer than 184 persons have been arrested by the Plateau State Anti-Human Trafficking Taskforce following overnight raids across several locations in Jos and surrounding areas.

The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Philemon Daffi, who also chairs the Plateau State Taskforce on Anti-Human Trafficking, disclosed this on Saturday while addressing journalists at the Ministry of Justice Secretariat in Jos.

He described the operation as a breakthrough in the state’s fight against human trafficking and child exploitation.

According to Daffi, the intelligence-driven operation was carried out simultaneously at multiple locations late Thursday night and stretched into the early hours of Friday, leading to the arrest of suspected traffickers and the rescue of vulnerable persons held in exploitative conditions.

He said those arrested comprise three pregnant women, seven female minors, 41 female adults, nine male minors and 123 male adults, bringing the total number of suspects in custody to 184.

All suspects, he added, are currently undergoing profiling, after which those found culpable will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

“Last night and towards the early hours of today, the Plateau State Anti-Human Trafficking Taskforce executed a surgical, multi-location raid that resulted in strategic arrests and the rescue of numerous vulnerable citizens who had been trapped in the shadows of societal decay,” Daffi said.

He said the operation’s success came after months of review, training, and data-driven intelligence, with lessons from past operations closing loopholes used by traffickers.

“We are no longer just reacting. We are out-thinking and out-manoeuvring the syndicates that believed Plateau State was a safe harbour for their depravity,” he stated.

Daffi condemned child prostitution in strong terms, describing it as outright human trafficking and a gross violation of the Child’s Rights Law.

He stressed that the state would no longer treat such cases as social misdemeanours or acts of vagrancy.

“Let there be no ambiguity: child prostitution is slavery. Where a minor is involved, there is no consent. It is exploitation, coercion and a heinous crime against humanity,” he said.

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have arrested six suspects for allegedly hacking into a telecommunication company in Nigeria to divert airtime and mobile data worth ₦7.7 billion.

Disclosing this in a statement on Wednesday, Force spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the suspects allegedly gained unlawful access into the core systems of the telecommunication company.

Hundeyin identified the suspects as Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu, and Masa’ud Sa’ad, saying police operatives recovered two mini plazas, retail outlets containing over 400 laptops, 1,000 mobile phones, and a Toyota vehicle.

According to him, a “substantial” amount of money was traced to the suspects’ bank accounts.

PRESS RELEASE

NIGERIA POLICE UNCOVERS 7.7 BILLION NAIRA TELECOM FRAUD, ARRESTS 6 SUSPECTS, RECOVERS ASSETS
The Nigeria Police Force – National Cybercrime Centre (NPF–NCCC) has uncovered and dismantled a sophisticated cyber-enabled fraud syndicate. The syndicate was responsible… pic.twitter.com/vCof2b9qL3

— Nigeria Police Force (@PoliceNG) January 28, 2026

“The syndicate was responsible for the illegal diversion of a telecommunications company’s airtime and data resources, resulting in an estimated financial loss of over ₦7.7 billion,” the statement reads.

“The breakthrough followed a petition by a Nigerian telecommunications company, which reported suspicious and unauthorised activities within its billing and payments infrastructure.

“Investigations revealed that internal staff login credentials had been compromised, granting threat actors unlawful access to core systems.

“Following weeks of planning, coordinated enforcement operations were executed in October 2025 in Kano and Katsina States, with a follow-up arrest in the Federal Capital Territory.

“The suspects would be charged to court on the completion of the investigation.

“Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, has commended the officers involved in the investigation for their professionalism.”

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have dismantled a social media–based drug distribution network packaging illicit substances as imported Christmas cookies and snacks, arresting two masterminds in Lagos.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi on Sunday.

According to the statement, the syndicate allegedly imported consignments of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, alongside colourful designer sachets branded with cookie and snack labels. The packaging, according to investigators, was used to disguise retail quantities of the psychoactive substance.

The syndicate reportedly sold and distributed the drugs through a WhatsApp network.

The statement said, “Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered and dismantled a social media network used to distribute illicit substances packaged as imported Christmas cookies and snacks with two masterminds arrested and taken into custody after a raid on their hideout in the Lekki area of Lagos.

“The drug syndicate run by the duo of Deji Adesanya and Olubiyi Majekodunmi had imported consignments of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis and a variety of colourful designer sachets with pictures and labels of cookies and snacks printed on them, and used to package the psychoactive substance in retail quantities.

“Following credible intelligence about the activities of the syndicate which operates and distributes through a WhatsApp platform, NDLEA operatives on Saturday 22nd November 2025 raided their apartment at Ojulari street, Ikate area of Lekki where a large quantity of the designer sachets and 5kilograms of Loud were recovered from them at the point of their arrest.

In a separate operation in Lagos, operatives arrested 38-year-old drug kingpin, Philip Ucheka, in Ladipo, Mushin, while he was taking delivery of 110 pouches of Canadian Loud weighing 55.6kg. Three delivery vehicles used for distribution were also impounded.

The statement added, “In another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Thursday 27th November arrested a 38-year-old drug kingpin Philip Ucheka while taking delivery of 110 pouches of Canadian Loud weighing 55.6kg at Ladipo area of Mushin. At the point of his arrest, three delivery vehicles were also seized from him.

At a courier company also in the state, officers intercepted 100 grams of Loud concealed inside a teddy bear imported from Thailand while 548 capsules of tramadol hidden in Vitamin C and Magnesium bottles bound for the United Kingdom were seized from a logistics firm.

The statement added, “At a courier company in Lagos, 100grams of Loud concealed in a teddy bear imported from Thailand were intercepted on Thursday 27th November while a consignment of 548 capsules of tramadol hidden in bottles of Vitamin C and Magnesium going to the United Kingdom were recovered at another logistics firm the following day, Friday 28th November.

In Oyo State, officers arrested 55-year-old Wasiu Kareem with 8,000 ampoules of pentazocine, 590 bottles of codeine syrup, 1,500 Co-codamol pills, and 9,900 tramadol capsules.

“In Oyo state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Lagos -Ibadan expressway on Saturday 29th November nabbed a suspect Wasiu Kareem, 55, with 8,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection; 590 bottles of codeine syrup; 1,500 pills of Co-codamol and 9,900 capsules of tramadol.

In Ondo State, seven suspects were arrested during a raid on the Ipe forest where 3,077kg of skunk was recovered.

The statement added, “No fewer than seven suspects were arrested on Monday 24th November when NDLEA operatives raided the Ipe forest in Akoko South East area of Ondo State where they recovered 3,077 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis. Those arrested include: John Ede; Ede Ndubuisi; Ikenna Abe; Eze Chukwuma; Maduabuchi Odo; Nnaji Chudubem and George Okowor.

In Kogi State, Anthony Sylvester, 49, was arrested along the Okene–Lokoja while transporting 649kg of skunk in a truck.

“While Anthony Sylvester, 49, was arrested along the Okene/Lokoja highway Kogi state conveying 649kg of skunk in a truck on Wednesday 26th November, NDLEA officers at the Seme Special Area Command on Friday 28th November raided a warehouse at Ashipa, Seme border area of Badagry, Lagos where they arrested a suspect Abubakar Shuaibu, 33, with 487 blocks of skunk weighing 243.5kg.

Along Zaria–Kano Road in Kano, officers arrested 47-year-old Tsalha Alasan with 137kg of skunk on Monday, November 24.

In Bauchi State, three suspects were arrested in Fanshanu village, Toro LGA, with 322 blocks of skunk weighing 209kg. A black Toyota Highlander (ABJ 533 EA) used for transportation was also seized.

The statement said, “In Kano, Tsalha Alasan, 47, was arrested along Zaria-Kano road with 137kg skunk on Monday 24th November, while three suspects: Godspower Appeal, 50; Ernest Upong, 55; and Godday Chukwudi, 38, were nabbed on Wednesday 26th November with 322 blocks of skunk weighing 209kilograms at Fanshanu village, Toro LGA, Bauchi state. A black Toyota Highlander jeep marked ABJ 533 EA used in conveying the consignment was also recovered from them.

NDLEA officers also arrested 51-year-old John Ekojo with 210.15kg of skunk along the Abuja–Jos highway while a couple, Abdullahi Abubakar, 45, and Jamila Abdullahi, 35, were arrested with 725 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition hidden in a sack of maize. Separately, Awwal Sabiu, 20, was caught with 400 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition at the Abuja/Kaduna tollgate.

“A suspect John Ekojo, 51, was arrested with 210.15kg skunk along Abuja/Jos highway on Saturday 29th November, while a couple: Abdullahi Abubakar, 45, and Jamila Abdullahi, 35, were nabbed along Abuja/Kaduna highway with 725 rounds of 7.62 mm live ammunition concealed in a sack of maize just as another suspect Awwal Sabiu, 20, was caught with 400 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition at Abuja/Kaduna tollgate on Friday 28th November, the statement added.