Cheke Emmanuel 
The Nasarawa State Police Command has rescued 17 human trafficking victims during a stop-and-search operation in Karu Local Government Area of the state.
In a press statement signed by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Ramhan Nansel, the victims were intercepted in a white Volkswagen Sharon vehicle with registration number SHD 253 YU by a police patrol team at Karu.
The vehicle, driven by 36-year-old Nanle John, had 17 passengers on board, comprising 11 boys and six girls, all aged between 10 and 19 years.
According to SP Nansel, the victims told police during interrogation that they were traveling from Shendam, Plateau State, to Kayama in Kwara State to meet a man named Umaru, who allegedly lured them with promises of farming jobs. Further investigation confirmed that the occupants were suspected victims of human trafficking, prompting their apprehension.
Efforts to reach the parents or guardians of the victims, as well as the suspect Umaru, were unsuccessful, as the phone numbers provided were unreachable.
All 17 victims have been taken into protective custody at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Lafia, on the orders of the State Commissioner of Police, CP Shetima Jauro Mohammed, who directed a thorough investigation into the incident and the human trafficking network involved.
The rescued victims are:
Males: Nanpar Zwaltur (19), Monday Zinglak (14), Ramnap Selchum (18), Nankat Ayuba (18), Burnan Yilkur (19), Timnan Ponfa (19), Nantip Nanbut (19), Kumlyan Nanbut (17), Zwalkur Zingdap (15), Nanfar Zwalkur (11), Nanpar Nanbut (14)
Females: Nanchu Bwoi (13), Godiya Lagang (10), Yulbyen Zingdap (10), Nanna Chirvyok (12), Sholyen Rapkat (10), Ladi Dinfa (12)
The Commissioner of Police reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to protecting vulnerable persons and eradicating human trafficking in Nasarawa State. He urged members of the public to report any suspicious movement or activity to the nearest police station.
“On 17th January, 2026, at about 1750hrs, a team of patrol officers attached to Mararaba ‘A’ Division intercepted a Volkswagen Sharon vehicle with 17 occupants suspected to be victims of human trafficking. They were traveling from Plateau State to Kwara State under false promises of employment. They have now been taken into protective custody at SCID, Lafia, for thorough investigation,” the statement said.
