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A suspected human trafficker reportedly native to Guma Local Government Area of Benue State has been intercepted by local youths in the Wurukum area, following an alleged plot to exploit two underage girls for prostitution abroad.
According to a statement from a community source identified as Zego’Orkwande Sughnen Yaaya, the suspect was said to have received 370,000 naira from a woman based in Mali to procure Benue girls for onward transportation to Lagos, with the ultimate aim of moving them to Mali for sexual exploitation.
The suspect allegedly travelled to Logo Local Government Area, where he convinced the parents of the two minors that a relative needed girls for restaurant work in Lagos, paying each parent 30,000 naira as part of the arrangement.
Local vigilance in the Wurukum area led to the suspect being apprehended before he could execute the plan. The source reported that the two minors were subsequently returned to their families, while the suspect was handed over to authorities.
The incident has reignited concerns over the vulnerability of young girls in Benue State to trafficking networks, particularly those using false employment promises to exploit poverty and parental consent.
Community-led surveillance efforts are being credited with the timely intervention, and local sources have issued a stern warning that continued attempts to traffic Benue girls for prostitution will be met with legal prosecution and community resistance.
