The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Taraba Command, has successfully arrested two individuals attempting to traffic 16 children. The apprehension took place at the Jalingo Main Motor Park on Thursday, where the suspects were found with the 16 children en route to Benin in Edo state.
Commandant Adamu Salihu of the Taraba NSCDC disclosed to reporters on Saturday in Jalingo that the suspects identified themselves as Daniel Madin and Federation Markus. The victims, ranging in age from 10 to 16, comprised five girls and 11 boys, originating from Zing and Bali Local Government areas of Taraba.
Preliminary investigations conducted by the command revealed that the arrested individuals were part of a larger syndicate specializing in trafficking underage children, promising them a better future in Edo. However, these children often find themselves coerced into dehumanizing jobs, with the earnings confiscated by their handlers.
Commandant Salihu expressed concern about the increasing trend of parents neglecting their responsibilities to raise their children, choosing instead to hand them over to strangers for meager compensation.
He remarked, “How can one give birth to children and expect others to take responsibility for their feeding, clothing, education, and general well-being? Most of the children taken from the state are sold into child labor and prostitution, while others are used for baby factories, organ harvesting, and money rituals.”
Highlighting that all the victims were of school age, Salihu emphasized that this practice must cease immediately. He called on relevant stakeholders in the state to take decisive measures to combat the escalating problem of human trafficking.
The suspects, along with the 16 children, were handed over to officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigation and prosecution.