The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Kebbi State Command, has rescued five underage children allegedly being trafficked to the Benin Republic under the guise of securing better educational opportunities for them.
The children were rescued in Edo State from a suspected trafficking ring allegedly led by one Pastor Ayuba, who was reportedly transporting them out of the country when NAPTIP operatives intercepted him.
The NAPTIP Commander in Kebbi State, Misbahu Iya Kaura, disclosed this on Wednesday while handing the rescued children over to the Kebbi State Government at the Government House in Birnin Kebbi.
According to him, the suspect claimed that he was acting with the consent of the children’s parents and intended to enrol them in schools in the Benin Republic.
However, Iya Kaura warned that such promises are often used by traffickers to gain the confidence of unsuspecting parents before subjecting children to exploitation.
He said the principal suspect had been arrested and would be prosecuted after investigations were concluded.
Receiving the children on behalf of Governor Nasir Idris, the Deputy Governor, Senator Abubakar Umar Tafidan, cautioned parents against handing over their children to individuals who promise to secure education or better opportunities for them abroad without proper verification.
He stressed the need for parents to thoroughly investigate the intentions and credentials of anyone offering to take their children outside the country.
The Deputy Governor further warned that parents found to have knowingly facilitated child trafficking would face the full weight of the law.
The rescued children were subsequently reunited with their parents.
Some of the parents, who spoke to Radio Nigeria, expressed gratitude to the Kebbi State Government and NAPTIP for their intervention and successful rescue of their children.
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