The Plateau State Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission has uncovered an illegal motor park operating in the state for nearly ten years in the state.
The commission’s Chairperson, Mrs.Olivia Dazyam disclosed this at a news conference on Friday in Jos.
Dazyam said a whistleblower from the Zawan community in Jos alerted the commission via text message.
According to her, the whistleblower described how the park loaded passengers from Jos to Sepeteri, a mining community in Ibadan, only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
She said officials of the commission immediately swung into action and apprehended 11 minors and three women who were prepared to travel on a bus.
“Upon inquiry, the Commissioner for Transportation confirmed that the park was illegal, and security agencies were immediately invited to begin investigation into its operations.
” Preliminary findings showed that passengers, including children below 18 years, were being recruited as labourers in mining camps in three Ibadan communities.
“The recruits do not pay transport fares. Instead, the organisers pay only after delivering them to the mining sites, where they work for the first six days to cover for their travel expenses,” Dazyam said.
