The Oyo police command has uncovered a suspected human trafficking syndicate operating in Ibadan, the state capital.
According to Channels Television on Saturday, police operatives rescued 84 individuals, including a child, from a house in the Orogun area of the city, where they had allegedly been held against their will for an undisclosed period.
It was not immediately clear if any arrest was made during the operation.
While police have not issued any official statement concerning the operation, the report said preliminary investigations revealed that the victims are believed to be nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The victims were said to have been lured into Nigeria under false promises of employment opportunities.
The perpetrators allegedly extorted significant sums of money, reportedly in dollars, from the victims’ parents and relatives as part of the elaborate trafficking scheme.
The rescued individuals are currently being sheltered at the police headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the full scope of the operation and to ensure all those involved are brought to justice.
