Source: Daily Post
On December 28, 2023, the Kano Police Command, under the leadership of Police Commissioner Muhammad Usaini Gumel, successfully dismantled a child trafficking syndicate. As reported by Muhammad Bukar, this syndicate specialized in stealing children from the Northern Region of Nigeria and selling them for prices starting from N300,000 each to buyers in the Southern States.
The police operation revealed the extent of the trafficking network, which spanned across Kano, Bauchi, Gombe, Maiduguri, and other places. In total, nine suspects were apprehended, most of whom are women, and they were caught in possession of the stolen children. This significant breakthrough in the fight against child trafficking came as a result of enhanced intelligence networking by the police.
Commissioner Gumel disclosed that the syndicate had been operating in various areas, including Bauchi, Gombe, and Delta. During the operation, seven kidnapped children, who had been missing for several months, were rescued. One of the rescued children, Muhammad Illiya, had been renamed to Chidiebere and sold for N450,000, while another child, Muhammad Bulyaminu, was recovered in Sabon Gari Kano, also sold at N450,000. A child named Chiameka was abducted at birth and sold for N350,000, but the parents have yet to be identified. Another victim, also named Muhammad Illiya, was rescued from Nnewi, Anambra State; he had been stolen at three years old, and after two years, he could no longer speak his mother tongue and was sold for N500,000.
The suspects arrested in connection with the child trafficking include Chika Ezugu (53), Joy (43), Clemente Ali (35), Emeka Ekedugwu (55), Berut Yarima (45) from Bauchi, Ndama Obi from Nnewi, and Ebere Emmubu.
The successful identification and rescue of one of the boys, Muhammad Illiya, came after his parents from Bauchi recognized him following a police announcement. Commissioner Gumel emphasized the commitment of the Kano Police Command to combating the rising wave of child kidnapping and trafficking, highlighting the neutralization of numerous kidnap networks and the reunion of many kidnapped individuals with their families.
Source of Image: The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)