THE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has rescued 15 minors allegedly trafficked and sold for N2 million each in Nasarawa State by a suspected member of a human trafficking syndicate.
News Point Nigeria reports that the suspect allegedly posed as an official of the National Council of Child Rights Advocate to deceive parents of the children into handing over the minors to him, promising less privileged families free education for their children.
The disclosure was made by the NSCDC National Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commandant of Corps Babawale Afolabi, during a press briefing at the corps’ headquarters in Abuja on Friday.
Afolabi said the suspect operated under the guise of running an NGO and orphanage programme known as the Back to School Project, through which he allegedly lured willing, less privileged parents into releasing their children with promises of free education.
“Under the guise of operating an NGO and orphanage programme called the Back to School Project, he lured willing, less privileged parents into releasing their children with promises of free education,” Afolabi said.
He said the children were rescued by the Commandant-General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS), led by Commander Dandaura Appollos.
Afolabi said 16 children were trafficked from Kama Madaki and Gudindi Mada communities in Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, while 15 had so far been rescued from their alleged buyers.
He said the operatives relied on intelligence and field tracking to locate the buyers, who were traced to different parts of the country.
“Through advanced field tracking, technical intelligence and multi-state tactical sweeps, operatives of the CG’s SIS tracked down the buyers who were from different locations in the country,” he said.
Afolabi said three of the victims were rescued in Anambra, Imo and Enugu states, respectively, while 12 others were rescued during a coordinated operation along eastern transit routes. He added that three suspected buyers, comprising one man and two women, had been arrested in connection with the case.
The NSCDC spokesperson said the corps maintained a zero-tolerance policy towards crime and human trafficking, adding that all suspects found culpable would be prosecuted after the completion of investigations.
