By Emmanuel Obe, Benin
Published: Tuesday, 17 Jul 2007

The Police Commissioner, Edo State Command, Mr. Bala Hassan, who briefed journalists on the matter on Monday in Benin, also said the police raided the hideouts of campus cults around the University of Benin and arrested 10 suspected cultists.

Hassan added that the 62 people — 37 males and 24 females, were packed in a container and were being transported by a trailer to Sagamu when the police intercepted them at the Ekiadolor checkpoint.

He said the people, who were mainly infants and teenagers, were taken from their respective homes at Ukele, Yala in Cross River State.

The commissioner said the police immediately suspected that they were being trafficked because most of them did not know where they were being taken to.

He added that the police would investigate the matter and charge people found culpable to court accordingly.

But the eldest person caught with them, Mr. Godfrey Ajima, said he was a farmer at Owode in Ogun State and was actually returning from his hometown in Yala.

He said the other pasengers, who he said were to disembark at Sagamu, were going to different places.

A teenage girl, Miss Udu Christiana Gogo, who said she was a JS3 student of Comprehensive High School, Ekwok in Yala area, said she and her sister were travelling to Lagos to collect money from a brother as they were on holidays.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Peter Ogboi, said none of the trafficked people had more than N500 on them.

He said those who drove the trailer claimed ignorance of the actual destination of the passengers as they were to be dropped at Sagamu.

Ogboi added that the police would hand over the rescued people to the National Agency for the Prohibition and Traffic in Persons which would rehabilitate them and reunite them with their families.

On the suspected cultists, the police commissioner said the police carried out a search at suspected hideouts around the UNIBEN and arrested 10 young men belonging to different cult groups.

He added that a bow, arrows and a battle axe were found in the home of one of the suspects.

Hassan said the operation was carried out by 100 mobile policemen and plainclothes men.

He explained that the operation would be a continuous one to rid the state capital of cultists who he said had been responsible for a number of killings in Benin in recent times.

The commissioner also said that the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma axis of the state had been peaceful for sometime now, after the command carried out operations to reduce the activities of cultists in the area.

He said the suspects would be charged to court after investigations on their culpability were concluded.