In a significant crackdown on child trafficking, Pastor Simon Kado, his relative Jesse Simon-Kado, and their driver, Muhammad Isah, were arrested by the Federal Capital Territory Police Command’s operatives from the Rapid Response Squad 74.
According to a statement by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, as reported by The PUNCH, the arrests were made on Saturday.
The trio was apprehended while transporting 12 underage children—eight girls and four boys aged between five to 16 years—from Nasarawa State to Ogun State.
Adeh elaborated, “Operatives of the FCT Police Command attached to the Rapid Response Squad 74, on Friday, February 9, at about 12:55 am, intercepted one Muhammad Isah, male, of Kafanchan, Kaduna State in a Toyota Hiace bus with Reg No APP 489 XE, conveying twelve; four male and eight female; underaged children to a destination later discovered to be in Ogun state.”
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the children whose ages are between five years to 16 years, all from Akwanga LGA, Nasarawa State were being trafficked to Ogun state by one Pastor Simon Kado, male, and Jesse Simon-Kado, male, who are now presently in police custody.”
“While the investigation is still ongoing and efforts in conduit with Nasarawa State Police Command on how to reunite victims with their respective families, the Commissioner of Police FCT, Benneth Igweh, wishes to reiterate that the safety of residents remains his utmost priority.”