Pregnant woman arrested for trafficking girls to Ghana for prostitution
Pregnant Woman Arrested for Allegedly Trafficking Young Girls to Ghana
A heavily pregnant woman identified as Mrs. Yakubu has been detained by authorities in Plateau State for allegedly trafficking three young girls to Ghana for prostitution. The arrest took place in the Rantiya area of Jos South local government on February 19, 2026.
Mrs. Yakubu was presented to the press at the Plateau State Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission (SGEOC) headquarters in Jos, alongside another woman and the rescued victims, by Olivia Dazyam, Chairperson of the Commission.
During a briefing, Dazyam revealed that the victims, aged 18 to 19 and named Humata Ilya, Sendy Emmanuel, and Dorathy Yakubu, were lured to Ghana with promises of well-paying jobs. Instead, they were forced into prostitution upon their arrival. The girls, two from Adamawa and one from Plateau, reported that they were made to swear an oath and underwent rituals to ensure their loyalty to Mrs. Yakubu.
The commission received a tip-off about the trafficking operation and collaborated with security agencies to facilitate the victims’ return to Nigeria. “We learned about a woman involved in the movement of two girls from Plateau State to Ghana,” Dazyam said. “With the help of security agencies, those girls made it back safely to Jos.”
Dazyam noted that the traffickers allegedly profited from the girls’ activities through fraudulent means.
“We want to raise awareness that traffickers are present in our communities,” she said. “Why would anyone send young girls to Ghana for such purposes?”
Additionally, Dazyam mentioned that another woman was implicated in a similar trafficking case involving two girls from Mangu, one of whom escaped and also returned safely.
In a brief interview, Mrs. Yakubu admitted to her involvement in the trafficking but expressed remorse, claiming she intended to help the girls find employment, similar to her own daughter who is currently residing in Ghana. However, she declined to disclose the nature of her daughter’s work in the country.
The investigation into the trafficking operation is ongoing, as authorities work to address the issue and protect vulnerable individuals in the community.
